Adrenaline
by 0Life-is-a-Song0
Summary: They weren't going to stop hunting me. No matter what I did, no matter where I went... they would never leave me alone. I was a pawn in the game and it wasn't over yet. They killed my friends because of these "gifts" these "powers"... and I was next.
1. Back to the Start

_

* * *

_

:D My name is Lias (Life is a song) and this is my first Kingdom hearts Fanfic, so I'm happy. Any regular readers of mine are probably rolling their eyes, but I will update this one more than the others! I've got three other chapters already written, so I have some semblance of organization on this one...

_Yeah._

_Summary: AkuRoku, Roxas was a normal boy. He lived in a normal town, had normal friends, and went to normal school. Then, he heard the voices. Well, voice. The voice that told him that he wasn't normal. The voice that said his entire life was basically a lie. The voice that slowly began giving him his memories one by one, memories of a life of fear and power, a life of trouble and murder. A life that until now had seemed a fantasy in books. Now, Roxas is thrown into a world of powers and greed as two sides battle against one another, Roxas the key to peace that one side so badly wants and the other wants to destroy. Because he's the key to one side's downfall in a prophesy that his friends want so badly to come true. But which side is the right side? The side that says he's the key, or the side he once was with? Lines are drawn, trust is put to question, and one red-headed boy just might make Roxas throw fate to the wind as he makes the hardest decision of his entire life._

_So, this will be a little dark with things, but don't lost hope or anything. It's going to be a happy story, right? Right. _

Disclaimer- :D I own the games! But... not the title :( Maybe someday...

* * *

The music moved swift and fast, capturing everyone in a spell before they could fight against it. It hypnotized and commanded them, lulling them into a daze as bodies moved back and forth, around and around to the beat, drinks flowing freely as they danced like they'd never danced before.

That would be because they'd never danced to Demyx's music before.

The man in question stood back behind the rest of the musicians, concealed by the cloak that covered him from head to toe in black material. His fingers skillfully played across his beloved blue sitar as he found the right notes, coaxing his gift into action, the notes weaving in the air between the techno beat and indie singer, an undertone that no one would pick up until it was too late. Still the blonde boy wouldn't let up his work on the strings, lightly gliding his fingers up and down as he scanned the crowd to note their reactions to his spell. The crowd was excited and high strung from partying, and didn't notice the way that they now were being forced to dancing instead of just doing it for fun. They were bound until he released his onslaught of music.

Scanning from face to face, Demyx flitted from person to person, looking for a specific group of people. They would be in the crowd, dancing unawares with the rest of the ignorant beings that he was tantalizing. Too fat, too short, too intoxicated… there! Demyx spotted the dark haired woman surrounded by her allies, dancing and laughing as one of them moved closer, dancing right behind her with a smug smile on his face. Smirking, Demyx moved a foot back and nudged the guy who was standing right behind him, indicating that they'd found their mark.

"You sure that's her?" His friend asked, tone lazy and sarcastic. Nodding eagerly, Demyx nodded to the man behind her, his face easily recognizable to them as he was on their side and had volunteered to be bait. Adding emphasis to certain notes, Demyx began picking up the pace with the bass that hummed beneath his shoes and sang in his veins, motioning again for his accomplice to do his job.

Axel was all too ready to oblige.

He moved through the crowd like he was one of them, slipping behind and around dancers with swift, certain movements that seemed almost inhuman. His eyes were only for the girl, her dark hair swinging with her as she threw her hands up and closed her dark eyes, pale skin standing out like a beacon in the club. The man behind her glanced up for a moment and met his gaze with a knowing stare, and subtly backed away, leaving a space behind her so that he could slip in unawares. Flitting through the air, a flute began weaving through the indie tech beat, setting his veins ablaze with excitement.

She turned the energy up as she laughed brightly and danced with more excitement and vigor, hips swaying along with the beat as her arms flowed with the melody that had put her under the spell she was in. She was innocent to the danger, Demyx's sitar making sure of that. Her usual guard and caution was thrown into the hot, sweaty wind of Club Atlantica, and her friends were also too lost to point out that she was in danger.

Grabbing her arms in an innocent gesture, Axel felt the blade hidden in his left glove press against his wrist, reminding him that it was there. Making it seem like he was simply infatuated with touching her sensually, Axel slid a hand across her shoulder, skimming the collar bone lightly, wincing as she let out a gasp of surprise but not anger. Demyx's music really had put a spell on her, leaving her stranded in a dance area.

Gritting his teeth, Axel flicked his wrist and pulled the blade out, swinging his arm quickly across her neck and ripping it back, the throat easily splitting and spitting blood onto the dance floor and the people around her as she died with another soft gasp, quick and easy-like. The spell had taken away the pain and anger she would feel, replacing it with an ecstasy of dancing and drinking. Deftly turning her, Axel stepped back and let his other accomplice grab her and hoist her up, turning her towards her friends who laughed at how lax she was, exclaiming that she needed to loosen up with them more often.

The red head and the blond quickly slipped through the crowd of excited dancers, the beat matching with the pulse that rippled through them at a completed job. Glancing back, Axel watched with concealed horror as the girl's friends lifted her up, unknowing that she wouldn't fight back because she was dead. Laughing, they began throwing her into the air, other dancers laughing and helping the motionless girl to bodysurf over their heads, her eyes wide, her lips parted in a silent scream that no one would hear.

Axel turned his head back and his sharp green eyes met icy blue ones, their disgust mutual as they reached the side steps and slipped around the dancing indie singer, her steps excited and quick as she didn't notice them behind her. Reaching their partner, Axel nudged him and nodded, drawing his hood up as the sitar playing slowly pulled his melody away from the air, letting the spell break with the beat as the song began to end, a different beat beginning for a new song.

They were racing through the back alleyway when they heard someone in the crowd let out an ear splitting scream of horror that send ice through all three of their veins.

* * *

It was another boring, stupid day.

_Nothing special about today…_

Roxas tiredly shuffled through his house, monotonously grabbing his stuff that had been strewn every which way during the weekend as he got ready for school. As he walked into the kitchen he reached into the fridge he grabbed an apple and bit into it dully.

_Always an apple…_

Giving his mother a kiss goodbye he walked slowly out of the door, stepping across the paper that was never picked up until 9:00 when his mother left to go do what every mother in Twilight Town did during the day.

_Never changes… wonder what other hobbies she might enjoy besides her sewing circle…_

Walking down the sidewalk, Roxas dropped his skateboard and jumped onto it, kick flipping over the cat that was _always_ in the same spot every morning, watching the birds swoop and fly past. Pushing off with one foot without feeling any drive to go faster than he was going already, Roxas went down the small hill, turning the corner and successfully avoiding the old man who always mailed one letter every morning, without fail.

_Never two letters… always one…_

Turning left like he always did, Roxas skated to the small alleyway that he skated to every morning before school. Dipping underneath the tarp the same way he always did, Roxas entered into his friend's hangout, greeting them each with the same small wave he always gave them when he arrived somewhere. Pence waved enthusiastically, like always, and Hayner lifted a hand for a high five, like always. Olette was busy getting everyone's stuff together, like always, and just managed a smile.

"Hey…"

"Hey…"

"Hey…"

"…Hey…"

_Never a hi… never a what's up... _

After settling down in his usual spot on the couch next to Olette, like always, Roxas listened to Hayner and Pence debate about the latest struggle match that they had seen, like they always did. After fifteen minutes passed, the group rose together and began making their way to school, Roxas staying off of his skateboard so that he could walk with them, like always.

_Maybe one day I could skate ahead of them…?_

After reaching school, they stayed outside and chatted amiably together, like always. When Seifer and his gang strolled past, they exchanged insults, like always.

"Hey, loser, out of the way." Seifer snarled, pushing through the group instead of going around them, like always. Roxas stuck his leg out last minute though, successfully tripping his nemesis up, like always. Rai caught him easily though, right hand to his left shoulder, like always.

"Have a nice trip?" Roxas asked in the same tone he always said it in. Fuu gave him a blank, emotionless look before shrugging and walking towards the door, waiting on her friends, just like always. Fuu was never one for their conflicts; she always just watched.

"Seifer's not one to let losers like you mess around with him, y'know?" Rai snapped, stepping back as Seifer stepped forward. Angrily, he jabbed a finger towards Roxas.

"You'd better watch yourself, freak. Mess around with me and you'll get into a lot of trouble." He threatened, like always. Jerking his jacket closer to his body, he turned and walked into the school, his gang following like they always did.

_Same old… same old… maybe one day the insults will change…? _

Roxas went to class as the bell rang, his teachers giving them information that they didn't really care about, like always. They droned on and on and on until their time was up, their faces sadistically happy as they handed out homework, like they always did.

_Can't they ever just let up? It wouldn't kill them to not give us homework one of these days…_

Lunch was the exact same, too. Same old pizza, same old French fries, same old carton of milk. Roxas ate it with the same old face of annoyance, responding to his friends' antics as they ate and Pence made a fool of himself, like always. As the bell rang, Roxas forced himself back up and into his next class, watching the teacher talk with a deadened stare that he'd perfected for an everyday use.

_Face is always like this nowadays… maybe it's gotten stuck…?_

He stared out of the window in his last class, frowning as the clouds rolled by in the same strange shapes that they'd rolled by in the day before. Sighing, he pushed his head up with his hand, supporting himself with his elbow so that he didn't fall asleep, like always.

_Why doesn't anything different ever happen around here?_ He asked himself as he continued to doze with open eyes, face lax as the teacher kept talking, unaware that her students were zoning out. _It's like this school is in a rut or something… we never, __ever__ have a change of scenery_. The teacher continued talking, her voice punctuated with the sound of chalk on a board as she wrote something that was supposedly important. _It's not just this school though… it's this whole town._ He continued to think as the bell rang, signaling escape from the prison Roxas felt confined to.

He went down the stairs at an even pace, waving to friends who called his name like they always did. He nodded his head to a teacher who gave a friendly smile, and grabbed his things from his locker before he left for work like he always did.

_Never get a day off…_ _this whole town is in a rut_... _what's so special about always doing the same thing…?_

He walked into the ice cream parlor where he changed into his uniform, like always, before he began working with Selphi, Tidus, and Wakka, like always. _I wonder what it would take for this town to do something different, for once in its existence…_ He wondered as he took customer's orders and gave them different types of ice cream that they so desired. _The only thing that happens with variety here is the customers' times of arrival… and the flavor of the ice cream._

He timed in and then helped clean up the parlor at closing time, just like always. As he left the store he said goodbye to his co-workers before dropping his skateboard next to the crack of the sidewalk like he always did. Swerving around the different rocks and sticks that were always in the way, he sped down the hill at the same speed he always went, sighing tonelessly as he reached home in about forty-five minutes, like always. Walking into the doorway of his house, Roxas greeted his parents dully before walking towards his room to drop his stuff off, like always. Slowly he cleaned and did his chores, not hungry since he'd eaten at the ice cream parlor, like he always did.

_The only new thing there was that we'd added a new triple layer hamburger…_

Roxas finished his chores and said good night to his parents before he trudged to his room to finish any homework he didn't do in class… like always.

Gets old, right?

_Why does nothing change around here?_ He thought angrily, opening his AP Environmental Science book with more vehemence than he usually showed. _It's not like it would kill anyone to have a change of actions around here. Would it be so bad if something different occurred?! What's so great about monotony?_

Angrily, he finished his homework quickly, a feat that usually didn't happen either. Tossing his books back into his bag, Roxas changed into his pajama bottoms before he lay across his bed, turning up his stereo a little louder than usual.

"I just wish," He said softly, "that things would change around here. Is that too much to ask?" No one responded to his question though, not like he was expecting an answer. Pulling himself out of bed, Roxas flicked the light off, enveloping the room in darkness as he pulled himself under his covers, wrapping himself up tight, like always.

_Maybe things will change… one day._

And then change came in the form of dreams.

* * *

_Hit or miss? Let me know in a review!_

Roxas: So... this was boring...

Lias: I know, I know! It's called an introduction to the story... things get interesting next chapter!!

Axel: Uh, what do you mean boring? I killed someone this chapter... was that not "actiony" enough!?

Roxas: Oh, sure, murder the innocent girl in a club where she's dancing and having fun...

Lias: (weakly) Uh, guys...?

Axel: You don't even know what's going on yet! Do you know why I killed her?!

Lias: Uh, hey, guys?

Roxas: No, I don't! That was just heartless!

::Awkward Silence::

Roxas: Oh... uh, right... yeah... (shifts eyes)

Lias: Who wants to review!?


	2. Rush

_

* * *

_

So, thanks for the reviews you guys! Decided to post this earlier than I first intended, but I was bored, so here you go!

In the last chapter I listened to Karsh Kale, Distance for the club scene. Awesome song... anywho, I'm probably about to change the story title and what not, so watch out for that!

_Oh, and you'll find out why he killed the girl later :D Just be patient and all will be answered_

Disclaimer- Wish it was... I'd be pretty rich, and I wouldn't be writing fanfiction if that was the case :D

_

* * *

__The moon shone crimson that night. There were no stars in the sky, and the moon gave light the color of fresh blood, bathing the walkway red. The bricks behind him were covered in mildew and salt from the ocean, and it gave off a nasty smell that made his stomach roil unpleasantly. He could remember the way the ocean sounded loudly in his ears and that somehow that was important. He could remember that the man in front of him was family. That's what he remembered._

_Oh, and he was going to die._

_He watched, dread coursing through him. Beside him, another boy around his age stood, silent and equally scared, but neither talked. He remembered that it was bad to talk. Talking would mean death, just like the man in front of them. The man was bound and beaten, head bent down as he stared at the ground, waiting for the inevitable. Circling him, a man clad in a black robe made snide comments to the boys, teaching them. _

_"He's a traitor, this nobody…" Their teacher told them, flicking his wrist. A whip snapped across the man's back, and he groaned, falling onto his knees, head still bent. The boy beside him flinched, but Roxas didn't move. He knew it was bad to move. Movement meant being noticed, and being noticed was bad. _

_"And this is what we do to traitorous nobodies.." Teacher continued, suddenly kicking at the man's back, his hood falling back to reveal enraged features. As the man fell flat onto the dirty ground, he coughed, blood spattering their shoes, the same color as the moon. Beside Roxas, the boy recoiled at the substance, but Roxas continued to watch, arms attached to his sides. He wouldn't move. _

_"Traitors are taken care of, boys." Teacher's narrowed eyes tightened as the boy next to Roxas shuffled uncomfortably at the gruesome scene in front of them. "And is something wrong?" Roxas averted his eyes and looked down at the near dead man in front of them, trying to dispel the sick feeling in his stomach. Something said that this was wrong, but what was he to do? He wasn't powerful; he wasn't strong. All he could do is watch and reach a hand out to squeeze the hand next to his for reassurance. The boy returned the gesture, fingers trembling slightly. _

_"It's just… isn't it wrong to kill him?" The boy beside him was innocent and too kind. Wasn't he innocent though? Didn't it make him sick to his stomach to see this man's eyes glazed with the acceptance that he was about to die? Who wanted to see that? Who wanted to come to the understanding that life, in all of its depth and importance, could end so quickly? Could end so easily? _

_Was life really that meaningless?_

_"I'll show you why it's not wrong to kill him, dear child." Teacher's eyes began mocking them as he grabbed the defenseless man's hair and yanked his head up. The man's mouth was parted, his breath raspy as he struggled to live, eyes telling them that the effort was instinct, not coherent thought. The man was past lucid thought; his mind was receding to something a bit more animalistic. Roxas gave the boy's hand another squeeze, silently telling him to be strong. _

_"You see, he's not really a person." Teacher's wicked grin grew, and he let one finger glide alongside the man's cheek. "He's not a human… he's a __nobody__. A nobody, dear children, has no heart, and therefore, no soul." The boy beside Roxas gave a gasp of surprise at those words, but Roxas kept his lips pressed together. It was smart to stay quiet; it was smart not to move. He neither spoke, nor moved because of those facts. The boy beside him however was showing his unease and guilt blatantly. That was dangerous._

_"A nobody isn't really a person, children. And when a nobody decides to betray a somebody, he must be disposed of." A blade was suddenly produced from the folds of teacher's cloak, and it flashed through the air, silvery crimson before it was embedded into the prisoner's chest. The boy beside Roxas began shaking harder, but Roxas kept staring, his horror well hidden, his disgust and nausea concealed beneath a blank face as he stared at the now dead man. He wanted to cry, he wanted to demand why, he wanted to protest, but he kept his mouth shut. That was the way to survive. Beside him, the boy let out a soft gasping sort of breathing, signaling an attempt at silent tears. _

_"It's not a sin to kill a nobody, children." Their father told them._

_

* * *

"And Roxas was just going to tell us how you get the molecular weight of 12 grams of NaCl… right, Roxas?" The boy in question jumped halfway out of his seat, his heartbeat jack hammering in his chest as he stared about the room with wide eyes. Taking slow, deliberate breaths as the classroom laughed at him being caught sleeping, Roxas eyed the teacher apprehensively, waiting for her to get onto him about passing out during her lesson. Lips pursed, she returned his bleary stare, an eyebrow raised as she waited for him to say something._

"Uh…" Came the ever eloquent reply. The laughter grew a little louder, and behind him, one of his best friends, Hayner, kicked his chair appreciatively. Mrs. Anna's stare became reproachful, and shaking her head she looked away from him, glancing around the classroom with a severe stare to make them shut up. As they quieted down, she looked down and reached into her desk, pulling out a pink slip of paper that she held between her thumb and forefinger like it was a revolting substance.

"Well, class, Roxas can show us something, alright." Grabbing her pen, she began filling the paper out, jaw tight with annoyance. As she finished the form, she walked over to Roxas's desk, settling the pink slip onto his AP Environmental Science book that lay closed. "He can show us the consequences of sleeping in my AP class… by kindly stepping into the hallway for the rest of it. You may sleep out there, and then report for detention tomorrow." As the class gave jeers of laughter with some sympathy mixed in, Roxas stared up at her blankly, mind still fuzzy from sleep. As she cleared her throat and make a shooing motion, he mechanically grabbed his book bag and books, standing up and stepping around the tall and imposing teacher, not bothering to answer. His mind was still muddled from the dream he'd just had, and he wasn't fully awake to protest yet.

As he walked past Olette, Roxas ignored her concerned look at his dazed expression. He would explain what was going on later. Walking through the doorway, Roxas closed the door softly before he dropped his books and slumped down against the wall, a sigh slipping past his lips.

His skin felt clammy, and he was overheated, like he was running a temperature. Running a hand through his unruly hair, Roxas closed his eyes and immediately his dream sprang to mind. The look of fear, the stench of death… it was so real. Dreams weren't like what he'd just seen. In dreams, you could scream and your lungs wouldn't feel tired, you could laugh but not feel the humor… dreams were a detachment of real emotions and feelings. And yet…

He'd felt every single moment.

He could remember the fear, he could remember holding that boy's-who was that boy?-hand as he trembled before their teacher- their father? A shiver ran down Roxas's back at the thought. His father? The man hadn't looked like his father. The man had a shock of silver hair and dark, tanned features. Roxas's father had thick, unruly hair like Roxas did, and bright green eyes. He was just a small time shop owner of the local ice cream parlor, not a sadistic and evil man who killed people-nobodies?-for a living.

What was a nobody anyway? The man seemed like somebody-a family member?-by the looks of it. He also had the same shock of silvery hair, but his features were pale instead of the darkened state their "father" had. Something said he was family though. Just because the guy seemed like a nobody doesn't mean he wasn't. Everybody is a somebody. A person. Someone who didn't deserve to die.

Which would explain why he felt sick to his stomach.

The dream just seemed a little _too_ real, that's all. Roxas took a deep, steadying breath and opened his eyes again, leaning his head against the cement wall to stare up at the ceiling. Because of this realistic dream, he had just been kicked out of his AP class, meaning a phone call home would be made. And then he had to have detention the next day? Mrs. Anna must have been in a bad mood to resort to that.

The dead man's stare flashed before Roxas's eyes again, and with a disgusted face, Roxas pulled his I-pod out of his pocket, deciding to resort to music to calm his nerves. His body felt overheated, like he'd just run a mile or so at a dead sprint. His hands shook slightly, and his breath came a little short, so with a little more concentration than necessary, he put the ear buds in, resorting to something with a lot of noise to distract him from the nervous energy that was racing through his syste

* * *

"R… as…"

_I'm so tired_.

"Ro… x…"

_Sorry, but it takes your energy to make this work._

"Da… Rox…!!"

_What? Who is this…?_

"ROXAS!" Roxas jerked awake, ear buds popping out of his ears as he blinked up rapidly at Hayner, annoyed that the jerk had resorted to yelling at him to wake him up. Hayner smiled down at him, raising an eyebrow and sticking a hand out to help his friend up. Glaring up at him, Roxas scrambled to his feet and grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder and smacking Hayner in the same movement. Laughing, Hayner playfully shoved his friend before slinging an arm around his shoulder.

"About time you woke up, I've been standing there for five minutes!" Hayner exclaimed, making Pence and Olette laugh as Roxas made a face.

"I'm a heavy sleeper." Roxas defended himself, frowning and ducking underneath Hayner's arm. He hated it when people woke him up. He'd just been able to drift off without having nasty visuals about that dead man. Around them, students rushed towards lunch, eager to get away from class for an hour. Rubbing his eyes, Roxas followed a laughing Hayner and a smiling Pence, moving with the crowd to get food.

"You ok?" Olette asked curiously, linking arms with him, ever the dutiful girlfriend. Roxas let out a barely audible sigh, glancing down at her concerned face with a carefully guarded expression. Did he want to tell her about the dream that seemed more than a dream? It would freak her out that was for sure. She was nice though and would probably want to help.

"Just tired, nothing's wrong." Roxas forced a smile and grabbed her books from her hands, distracting her from her worry by being a gentleman. Nothing worked better than being so nice that it was almost a sin. Girls were just beside themselves in Twilight Town when guys were chivalrous.

_Not all girls are like that._ The voice came so suddenly that it made Roxas stop, eyes wide and heart unexplainably pounding.

"What?" He sudden stop caused someone to collide with him from behind and Roxas fell forward, landing on hands and knees, the person from behind half over him from the crash, cursing and swearing in annoyance.

"Watch where you're going!" Roxas snapped as he scrambled to his feet, annoyed and-though he wouldn't admit it-a little nervous. His palms were sweaty, and a cold, icy feeling settled over his stomach. What had he just heard? _Who_ had he just heard? The voice had a distinctly feminine sound to it, high and clear like a bell. What the hell?

"You should check yourself, loser; you're the one randomly stopping in the middle of the hallway." Seifer snarled, shoving Roxas aside as he and his friends brushed past.

"Oh, grow up, Seifer." Olette snapped, pushing past him to catch Roxas's shoulder to steady him. Laughing humorlessly, Seifer rolled his eyes and continued walking, flipping them the bird casually over his shoulder. Roxas watched him through narrowed eyes, his heart slowing down slightly as he reached down to pick Olette's books up from the floor. As the hallways cleared and a bell rang, they were about to continue walking when it struck again.

_Oops, sorry._ The voice let out a soft giggle, making Roxas stop in his tracks, the color visibly draining from his face. Who the hell was that!? Looking around suspiciously, Roxas tried to pinpoint where the voice had come from, but he could see no one near enough to be heard in a soft whisper of a voice. Roxas felt his breath hitch as he realized that the voice had come from his head. Olette watched him, a frown taking over her face. What was wrong with him? He'd been acting weird since AP Environmental Science… was he sick?

"Roxas?" She asked, but he ignored her, panic settling in. Now he knew he wasn't imagining it. He was hearing voices. The hall was clear, save for Olette and him, but the girl that had spoken didn't have his girlfriend's voice. It was softer and higher pitched, too light and gentle to be Olette's. The voice had sounded in his head, not in his ears.

So he was hearing things!?

"Roxas, let's go to lunch." Olette grabbed his arm and began leading him down the stairs, her jaw set firm with concern. Dumbly, Roxas allowed himself to be led down the staircase, mind reeling.

_You must not hear voices a lot._ There it was again!

"Olette, did you hear that?!" Roxas froze, eyes darting around as he tried to see if anyone was with them, hoping that someone was just playing a sick, terrible joke on him. Olette gave him a strange look, glancing around the hallway slowly, an eyebrow raised.

"Hear what?" She asked slowly, the concern now for his mental health instead of his physical health.

"That voice… did you hear that voice?" His voice faded slightly as he finished that statement, realizing that he sounded crazy. Voices? Was he seriously asking about voices? Worriedly, he looked away from his surroundings and back to Olette, watching as her face changed from worry to disbelief and then mild, sarcastic humor.

"Yeah, I heard the voice Roxas; it says we should get to lunch." She laughed brightly and took his arm, leading him down the rest of the steps to enter into the lunch room. Roxas stared blankly at her, realizing that she was joking around with him. She didn't believe him, just like he didn't want to believe himself.

"Yeah…" He forced a laugh, hiding the fact that he was nervous beyond belief. What kind of people heard voices? What kind of people heard them repeatedly? Crazy people, that's who. People like that Vivi kid who'd been taken away from school because he kept hallucinating. As they dropped their books off at their table and went through the lunch line, Roxas tried to find the voice again.

_Hello…? Um, voice in my head? _He glanced around the lunch room, nodding to a few people who called out to him and waving when others waved. _Look… I don't know who you are, but could you not do that again? It's… kind of freaky… _Grabbing his lunch tray, he settled down in his chair next to Olette and across from Hayner.

"Man, I can't believe I've got so much homework!" Hayner complained angrily, picking at his food as if debating whether or not to eat it.

"That's what happens when you don't do anything in class." Olette laughed, shaking her head disapprovingly. Motioning to Hayner's notebook that lay next to his tray, she grabbed it and opened up the first page, displaying the lack of organization there.

"I do stuff in class; it's just not what I'm supposed to do." Grinning like mad, Hayner motioned to the notebook that was covered in comic-like doodles. Pence appreciatively gave a thumbs up as he looked at the pictures, making Roxas laugh and Olette give a disapproving noise in the back of her throat

"Oh, haha, really funny. I'm not going to help you if you fail." Olette informed him as she pushed the notebook away.

"I can ace it if I wanted." Hayner defended himself. "Right, Roxas?" Roxas looked up at his friend that had turned to him for a back-up.

"Uh…" Roxas looked between his two friends, Olette's piercing stare giving him a silently deadly warning that he should keep his mouth shut. Weakly, he pulled away from the two of them, not wanting to be caught in the cross-fire.

"Don't answer that." Pence advised through a mouthful of food. Roxas turned to him gratefully, nodding eagerly.

"So, what was that about in class? Mrs. Anna looked seriously mad." Pence shoveled food in his mouth as he asked, incidentally displaying the pizza he was devouring. Olette made a disgusted noise, and Hayner smacked the bottom of Pence's jaw to make him shut his mouth.

"That's gross…" Hayner laughed, shaking his head. "But he's right though; what was going on? You looked all spaced out man." Roxas shook his head, innocently eating his fries.

"I don't know… just a really weird dream." The words sprang from his lips, unbidden, and he wasn't altogether sure if he wanted them to. Olette glanced over for a moment before she shook her head.

"What was it about?" She asked curiously.

"It… there was… I don't remember…" Roxas lied, hating that he could remember the man's face so vividly. The smell, the scene, the fear… shuddering, Roxas took a drink from the carton, avoiding Hayner's look of disbelief. He wasn't sure if he wanted his friends to know about the dream. Hayner would just laugh and brush it off, Pence would dig into it with too much energy for Roxas's comfort, and Olette... Roxas glanced at her and shook his head. He didn't want her to know about the dream. She might really think there was a problem with him, and Olette was always trying to fix things that didn't necessarily want to be fixed.

"You don't remember but it freaked you out?" He asked, clarifying. Pence sent him a look of disbelief before shrugging and turning back to his food, hunger more important.

"Yeah, weird, right?" Roxas gave a convincing laugh, causing his friends to join in and thankfully steering the conversation away from the weird encounter.

Still, it didn't stop him from feeling like something bad was going to happen. Soon.

* * *

The rest of the day passed slowly. The classes were boring, the teachers were annoying, and the students were tired. It was getting towards the end of the year, and they were desperate for a break from the constant work and trouble. Roxas managed to stay awake for the rest of the day, but still his paranoia remained. He constantly waited for the girl's voice to come back, but it didn't. The worry made him tired and snappy, and when the bell rang for school to let out, Roxas avoided looking for his friends, jumping onto his skateboard so that he could report for work at 3:30

Roxas worked at his father's ice cream parlor, the best place for kids to hang out. He was one of the waiters there, but his pay was much better than the other workers, simply because he stayed after hours to help his dad with clean up and inventory. They had three different parlors around Twilight Town; one nearby the school, one on the beach, and one right off of the exit going towards Destiny Islands. As he skated around to the back, Roxas grabbed his uniform and apron, skirting the boxes and stacks of dishes so that he could change quickly.

_Be careful going home_. The voice was back, tone edged with worry. Roxas stopped, staring around the area in front of him, heart pounding once again as he tried to pinpoint the source of the voice. Was someone following him? Turning around slowly, Roxas peered around each box in the room, looking for the culprit of his sudden bout of craziness. He couldn't be hearing voices, that kind of thing was just unheard of. Still, he could see no one at all, and the echoes of the voice reverberated around his head.

_Who is this?_ He thought to himself, hand to his chest as he tried to slow his beating heart.

_The voice inside your head._ The tone was light and carefree, but Roxas wasn't fooled. There was something in it that tone that had an edge to it. What was going on!?

_Am I going crazy or something?_ He thought frantically, finally able to step forward and try to act like nothing was wrong. Walking through the double doors, Roxas managed a smile and a wave to his manager, Wakka, before escaping to the bathroom to change. Dropping his clothes on the counter, Roxas looked into the mirror, trying to see what was different with him. Why was a voice in his head? Wide blue eyes stared back at him, panicked and startled, like a deer in the headlights. His blond hair was in disarray, but that wasn't anything new. No matter what he did, his hair had a mind of its own. His skin looked paler than usual, like he'd seen a ghost. If only it were that easy. It would be nice to see something. Instead, he was stuck hearing something!

_No, you're not crazy_. A light laugh filled his mind. _But you do need to act a bit more normal._ Roxas let out a dry laugh at that, turning away from the sink and grabbing a stall to change in.

"Yes, act normal… because hearing voices is normal." He muttered to himself, pulling his t-shirt off and buttoning up his crisp, white waiter's shirt.

_For some people, yes._ Rolling his eyes, Roxas finished changing and then stepped out of the restroom, trying to push away the worry that he was quite possibly going crazy.

"Roxas, how've you been?" Wakka asked brightly, giving him an ordering pad to write on and a pen. Wakka was a strange person, Roxas had to admit. He kept his bright orange hair styled up with a lot of gel, creating a weird cone-like structure on top of his head. He kept it up with a thick, blue headband. The guy was usually seen on the beach near Twilight Town playing volleyball with his lucky ball, but when he was seen in town he kept mostly to himself, only really hanging out with people during work hours. He was nice, but just a little odd.

"Good, just can't wait for summer vacation." Roxas replied easily, grabbing a dish towel and draping it across his arm. Only three waiters were really necessary during each shift, so tables were pretty easy to divide between them. Roxas looked at the other two waiters and nodded in greetings as he waited for people to arrive.

"Today should be good tables… the beach is closed." Tidus walked past Roxas and grabbed a pen from the holder, clapping his co-worker on the back.

"Why was the beach closed?" Selphi asked curiously as she went and sat down on a stool at the counter. Roxas leaned back against the countertop, closing his eyes and relaxing as his two co-workers talked.

"They said some weird creature was in the water. But I overheard one of the town's defense committee members saying that it wasn't a weird creature… it was a person. Some guy in a big, black cloak was killing the animals in the water…" Tidus made a noise in the back of his throat and Roxas heard Selphi's gasp of surprise. Not really interested, Roxas began to doze a little as they waited for people to arrive. So what if there was some weirdo?

"Why was he killing the animals?" She whispered. Selphi was always one who loved animals and hated all kinds of violence. She was just overly nice like that. Roxas silently sympathized with her but he wasn't fazed by the news. Twilight Town was a small, knit together community where everyone knew everyone, and hardly anything of consequence happened. Every now and then, some weirdo would come along and would be apprehended and then escorted out of town, but other than that there was not a lot of action going on. _Except for today… with my dream and that voice in my head…_ Roxas frowned as the thought sprang, unbidden in his mind, and he was suddenly very much interested with the story Tidus was in the middle of telling. Was it connected with his own problems?

"… said that he was just doing it for fun. When they tried to arrest him he just… vanished. They're searching the beach area for him right now, so it's closed." Selphi gave a small gasp of horror at the idea of the man running loose, but Roxas was more concerned with the idea that the man was in Twilight Town in the first place. Why would a nut job like that be in a town like Twilight Town? What would his motive be? Did it have to do with the voice in his head?

"How did he kill the animals? Was he shooting them?" Selphi asked quietly. Roxas listened attentively while he tried to appear like he couldn't care less. He didn't want to egg Tidus on because his co-worker was famous for fabricating the truth when he had an audience. Closing his eyes, Roxas tried to calm down a little, but now that he was thinking about it, he was starting to get a little nervous.

"That's the weird part… the guy was strangling them… with sea weed. He could control the plants." Tidus whispered, half excited and too full of himself to admit that the idea made him uneasy. Roxas shot up from his leaning position, staring at Tidus incredulously.

"He was controlling the plants?" He asked in disbelief, not able to help himself from asking. Surely his friend was kidding!? No one could actually _control_ plants, could they? Tidus looked over at him solemnly, nodding slowly. Behind the counter, Wakka watched them with an unreadable expression on his face. Selphi's mouth was tight with nerves, and there were tears in her eyes for the deaths of the sea animals.

"Yeah, they were nervous to try and grab him. When they called out to him, he just turned towards them and laughed. Can you believe that? Must be one crazy-"

"Enough talk about that, Tidus, you're making Selphi frightened." Wakka suddenly interrupted, shaking his head. Roxas glanced over at Selphi and had to agree; she looked positively terrified. Wakka reached a calm, steady hand out and grasped her shoulder comfortingly, giving Tidus a look of exasperation. Realizing it was his fault, Tidus sheepishly ducked his head.

"Aw, don't worry Selphi, no weirdo like that will get in here. We'll take care of any guy like that, won't we, Roxas?" Roxas, who had been staring out of the window in a thoughtful daze, jerked out of his reverie and glanced back at Tidus. Nodding, he looked down slowly before looking back out of the window, absentmindedly trying to piece this new bit of news together.

"Yeah, Selphi, nothing's going to happen." Roxas reassured her quietly, frowning as he recalled what the voice in his head had told him earlier. He felt uneasy, like this was somehow connected to him, and it didn't comfort him one bit that the defense committee hadn't even been able to lay a hand on the man. What kind of power was that? Who was that guy? Roxas felt alone all of a sudden, like he wasn't sure what to do and the voice echoed her earlier words, the edge a little heavier in them like she knew firsthand what he feared.

_Be careful going home._

* * *

"Have a good night, Roxas!"

"Yeah, you too. Good luck with your test tomorrow." Roxas replied, waving back to Tidus and Selphi who lived next door to each other on the other side of town.

"Thanks, I'll need it!" She gushed, smiling brightly. Roxas could see that her smile was a little forced and her laugh was a little too happy to be real. Nodding over to Tidus, he motioned that he should stay close to her. Though they weren't best friends or anything, it would be terrible for her to be so frightened about that man.

"Selphi, you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little nervous about that man." She stopped looking so happy for a moment, and her face became a little uncertain as she glanced back to Tidus and then looked down. "Careful going home, ok, Roxas?"

"You too…" Roxas turned away from the ice cream parlor, book bag in hand and mood a little lighter than before. His tips had been really, really good during his work hours, and he'd be going home with over 800 munny, simply because the food rush had lasted all afternoon. Since the beach was closed, everyone who went there for ice cream and relaxation had decided to hit up the ice cream parlor in a steady flow. Their munny was loose to spend, and since Roxas was always on top of things, his customer's moods stayed bright and gracious.

As he walked down the street, Roxas watched as the sunset faded quickly behind one of the buildings, darkness slowly creeping around the edges of corners and alleyways. For ten minutes he just walked slowly, trying to relax from the day's worry and confusion. Dropping his skateboard onto the pavement, he jumped on and began to glide down the hill in front of him, picking up speed gradually as he went along, dodging random debris so that he didn't fall. It felt nice to just skate and not have to think about the stupid dream or the stupid voice, and for a moment Roxas could ignore it.

That is, until his skateboard suddenly stopped, flinging him onto the pavement roughly.

Roxas had the brief sensation of flying/ falling before he crash landed onto the ungiving pavement. He lay sprawled and dazed on the ground, shock settling into his bones. What had he tripped over? He was positive that he'd avoided the large rocks and random stick on the road since his wheels couldn't roll over some of them… so what was going on? His palms were grazed and scratched up badly, and he was sure he'd ripped his pants at the knees. Grumbling under his breath, Roxas turned around and was about to pull himself back up on his feet with as much dignity as possible, but he was shocked back onto his ass when he saw a man standing above him, skateboard under one arm.

There wasn't much to describe the man, except the aura he held around him. It was like a dark, menacing shadow was wrapped around him, the stench of death almost tangible. Roxas couldn't see his face, but he could almost imagine that the man was smirking beneath the hood pulled low over his face, happy that he'd caught his prey. A strange, black cloak wrapped around him like a tight robe, and thick black boots jutted out of the bottom. The silver zipper glinted in the bright moonlight that was steadily rising into the sky.

"Poor, poor Roxas… I do hope that you're not too terribly injured." The man purred in low, scornful tones, a tense edge twisting his words into something biting. Roxas stared up at him warily, unsure as to how he should act. Something told him that he should be on edge… something in the man's voice was deadly and poisonous, but the way he stood over him kept him rooted to the floor.

"Who are you?" He finally spat out, trying to put a menacing tone to his voice. He wasn't going to allow this lunatic to think he'd gotten the upper hand. There was no way that he was going to be intimidated.

"Oh… you don't remember me? That's a little disappointing, I have to admit. But, it does mean that he did the job right; I can't fault him that." The man let out a laugh that held no humor in it, making ice spread along Roxas's veins like a frozen wildfire. This man knew him!? Anger began to settle among his other emotions though as he realized that this guy was the reason why he'd fallen.

"What- what are you talking about? I don't know you." He snapped, pushing himself up onto his knees slowly, and then fully onto his feet. Pulling himself up to his-less than-impressive height of 5'4" he tried giving his best annoyed glare. What was this guy raving about? He had no idea who he was! Roxas was sure he'd have remembered if a random guy dressed head to toe in black had been running around with him in his past. Things like that a guy just couldn't forget.

Right?

"Oh, but you do, Roxas. In fact-"

"I don't know what you're trying to pull, but I have no idea who you are. Can you just give me back my board now?" Roxas impatiently stuck his hand out, waiting impatiently for the man to hand it over. As if debating whether to hand it over or not, the man held the board up, head tilted to the side.

"Can I? Yes. Will I? No. Maybe now you won't forget me as I will be the one in possession of your board, not you." The man's clipped words served to fuel Roxas's annoyance, making him clench his fists and try to reel in his all too famous temper. It wouldn't be good for him to snap on a total stranger; who knew what this random man could do? He could have a weapon underneath the folds of his cloak, a gun or a knife. Eyes glinting, Roxas studied the figure in front of him, trying to see whether or not he would be the type to have a concealed weapon.

"Look, just give me my damn skateboard back! I didn't do anything to you." Roxas snapped, hands clenched into fists at his sides. He was well aware that the longer he stayed, the later it would take him to get home. If he was late again, his parents would kill him. Still, he wasn't leaving without his board.

"What will you do to get it back, I wonder?" The man let out another low, humorless laugh. "Is this board really that important to fight for it?" He goaded. Suddenly, the bell tower began to chime, signaling that the time was 9:00. Roxas, anger mounting, gritted his teeth, glancing from the board to the clock tower. Should he get his board back, just to get in trouble with his parents for being late home from work? Was a skate board worth his mother's wrath? Giving the man one last withering glance, Roxas reluctantly turned around and began to walk away, ignoring the sound of derision the man behind him made.

"No, I guess it's not." Roxas replied without glancing back. Ignoring the stinging in his hands from his less than stellar crash from his board, Roxas kept his back straight, forcing his feet to continue moving away from the guy he wanted to pommel, not towards him.

He was doing a good job until his skateboard hit him square in the back.

Once again, Roxas fell flat onto the ground, the breath pushing out of him in one great _whoosh_. His skate board fell to one side of him, clattering noisily, but the sound was barely existent to Roxas. Instead, anger pounded in his veins, and with a wheezy growl he hauled himself to his feet, ignoring the way his chest heaved for oxygen from having it knocked out of him. Whirling around, he was unsurprised to see the man walking-sauntering, really-towards him, his shadow stretching to cover the entire area in front of him.

"It's not? Maybe that was, then." His attacker sneered. Angrily, Roxas charged at him, ready to show the guy exactly who he was messing with. Changing directions at the last minute, Roxas was just about to swing into a nice upper-cut punch when something suddenly grabbed him from behind and pulled him away from the strange man, tossing him unceremoniously onto the ground. Scrambling to his feet, Roxas turned his head to try to see what had grabbed him, but the only things nearby was a vine from the wall and his skateboard. Snapping his head back, Roxas waited to see the man's next move. Surprisingly, the man hadn't moved at all from his stance, folded arms and tilted head. Roxas ground his teeth in frustration.

"That's all you were going to do?" The man asked with contempt. Roxas, slightly taken aback, pulled back from his fighting stance, slightly confused. What did the guy think he was going to do? Nodding slowly, Roxas watched as the man moved his head down, his hood shaking slightly from side to side like he was annoyed or disappointed.

"Not awakened yet…" His sardonic voice was barely heard, but Roxas was sure that's what he said. Frowning, Roxas stepped back, hating how the atmosphere was changing around him. It was suffocating, like the guy was giving off waves of anger and frustration and directing it precisely at him. Stumbling back as the waves increased, Roxas felt his board touch the side of his shoe, and reaching down blindly he grabbed it, eyes still on the angry man in front of him. He seemed to be better now, the hood facing Roxas directly instead of the downwards motion it had been in previously.

"Well, that was informative. I thank you for that, at least." The man suddenly said in his annoyingly smug voice. Stepping back, he lifted a hand, making a strange twisting motion before crossing it over his torso and bending in an almost bow. Roxas would have laughed at the strange motion, but he was shocked as he could hardly stop himself when his arm reached up slowly and repeated the gesture, his torso bending into an almost bow as well. As if actually amused with Roxas's actions, the man let out a low, droll laugh. Jerking himself back in shock, Roxas stared uncomprehendingly at his arm and hand, bewildered. What had he just done? Why had his body reacted to that simple motion like it had already known what to do? Gripping his hand into a fist, Roxas looked back up to demand some answers when he was shocked once again.

The man was gone.

Confused, Roxas ran up the hill and peered into the alleyway and the doorway nearby, trying to see where the guy had gone. How could someone just disappear like that? There was no trace, almost like he'd disappeared into thin air. Frustrated, Roxas turned back around and slowly walked towards his board, senses on high alert as he waited for the guy to attack. Why would he leave randomly like that? Did he expect Roxas to pull a gun out or something? And what did he mean, 'not awakened yet'? Nothing the man had done made any sense, and it only served to aggravate Roxas more than he was earlier.

Feeling very much like he'd been used in some odd way, Roxas kicked his skateboard over and jumped onto it, ignoring the painful twinge in his back. He'd probably have a bruise there in the morning, but that didn't really concern him. All that concerned him was that his parents were going to be so mad when he finally got home.

It wasn't until that moment that he realized that the man who had cornered him and the man that had terrorized the beach were one in the same.

* * *

_Hit or miss? Tell me in a reivew!_

Roxas: Finally things get interesting... but I hope you're not trying to make me seem like I'm crazy.

Lias: 'Course not! I don't have to try to do that...

Roxas: What?!

Axel: Oh calm down, at least you were in this chapter! When am I popping back up?

Lias: You'll be back-

Roxas: Are you trying to say I'm crazy!?

Lias: No, of course-

Axel: And what if she is!?

Lias: But I'm-

Roxas: I'm not crazy!! Why would you think that?!

Lias: That's what I'm try-

Axel: Why wouldn't she!?

Lias: (sighs) ... how about a review?


	3. Pulse

_Ah, sorry for the slightly late delay... just got back from Girl's Camp for my church :D I never thought I'd come to appreciate the beauty of computers, cellphones, and ipods. Stranded in the woods without all three REALLY makes you think about things, you know?! _

_Anywho,_

_Thanks for all of the reviews! I really appreciate what you guys have to say!_

_So let's see what occurs next, yes?_

* * *

When Roxas walked into the doorway at 10:01 he was expecting an onslaught of anger. It wouldn't have surprised him if he was grounded from T.V. and hanging out with friends, and if his mother had decided that he needed double the chores to teach him a lesson, he wouldn't have pushed the issue. Though it wasn't terribly late in the evening or anything, his parents hated him getting home late just so he could turn around and do chores late and consequently stay up until odd hours of the morning finishing the homework his teachers thought it would be important to pile on. Usually when he was a little over 10 minutes late he faced a very stern lecture where he would pretend to listen, but he was almost 30 minutes late. As if walking towards his doom, Roxas dropped his bag onto the floor, not wanting his books to become part of the blood bath.

What he didn't expect was his mother to envelope him in a tight, worried hug.

"Oh dear, I was so worried about you! Honey, come quick, Roxas is home finally!" Roxas's mother pulled him close to her in a death-like hold, her mom-like scent washing over him. Concern seemed to stain the air around her and, shocked, Roxas returned the hug a little too late.

"It's about time; is he ok?" His father appeared around the corner from the hallway, work clothes still on and expression severe. His mother pulled him away from her a moment, assessing him critically in a way only a mom could comprehend. No detail was missing from her search, and when she noted his skinned knees and ripped pants, her gaze lifted to his worriedly. Roxas started explaining before she could turn it into something it wasn't.

"It's nothing, mom, I just tripped off of my board going down a hill. I can put some band-aids on it and I'll be fine." His mother took in his explanation with narrowed eyes, her face pinched with worry. Behind her, his dad put a comforting hand on her shoulder, pulling her away from Roxas and allowing him to breathe. Why was she so upset over him being late? Usually it would be anger. Glancing up at his dad, Roxas waited for him to explain.

"Have you heard any news today?" His father asked slowly, grabbing Roxas's book bag with one hand and nodding towards the kitchen. Following his parents, Roxas replied that he hadn't really gotten the chance.

"There was a strange man walking around town… dressed in all black, funny fellow he was. Anyway, he was apprehended at the beach for…" His dad's voice trailed off, and Roxas could see the tension in his shoulders. Not only did his dad own the ice cream parlors, he was also a member on the board of the defense committee. "He was doing some pretty sick things. Later, he was reported as being seen around town… looking for you." At this, Roxas's mother let out a strange noise from her throat, her white blond hair covering her face so that Roxas couldn't see her watering eyes.

"Looking for me…?" Roxas echoed the words, mind reeling. What did this guy want with him? Who was he, anyway?

"Roxas," His dad met his eyes with a firm edge in his words. Green clashed with blue as he asked seriously, "Have you ever met that man before?" The words hit him full force, and Roxas responded almost instantly, his mind recoiling at the idea of actually _knowing_ the freak that had cornered him.

"No, I've never talked to a guy like that!" He cried out a bit too quickly for his own liking. His mind cringed away from the idea of knowing him and that apparently they had a secret handshake that Roxas knew, but he pushed the idea away. There was no secret handshake because there was no secret! He didn't know the guy! His father stared into his face a few more minutes before letting out a gruff grunt, apparently satisfied with whatever he'd seen.

"I didn't think so, but a couple people were saying things… just thought I ought to have checked with you. If you see a guy like that, stay away from him, ok? I don't need my son getting involved with riff-raff like that." His mother pushed her hair back, her bright blue eyes watery with unshed tears.

"We weren't sure where you were, so I assumed the guy had gotten a hold of you." She said softly, eyebrows scrunched. Roxas suddenly realized just what they had thought. The guy was a madman. A madman asking for someone generally had a bad motive. His mother, thinking the worst, had thought he had been taken by the guy. Nervously, Roxas recalled the way the man had acted, almost like they were old friends or something. Nothing the guy had done made any sense, really. Letting him attack just to have someone throw him back from behind? Who did that? And then leave because his attack hadn't been the one the guy was expecting?

A silence descended in the room as each family member began to think to themselves what was really going on. Roxas could almost feel the tension in the room as he looked from his mother's face to his father's face, and he then realized that this was the moment of truth. He couldn't tell them he'd run into the man, or they'd overreact and he'd not be able to do anything with his friends. If he played his cards right he'd get off the hook. All it took was subtlety and cautious, light words. If he handled things tenderly and eased in the idea of him not getting into trouble, he would be able to leave scot-free.

"So I'm not in trouble?" He suddenly asked, pulling them from their thoughts.

Ah, so much for subtlety…

"Why would you be in trouble?" His father asked with raised eyebrows. Shaking her head, his mother opened her arms and Roxas stood up and gave her a hug like he knew she wanted him to, hoping it would get him off the hook.

"I don't know, just thinking out loud I guess…" Voice trailing off, Roxas pulled away from the hug, feeling relief that they hadn't decided to be angry. Their worry outweighed their anger.

"Well, you've got homework to do, so get to it, mister." His father's gruff voice made him jerk to attention, grabbing his bag so that he could flee to his room as a free man. Giving his mother a dutiful kiss on the cheek, Roxas couldn't help the smile that fought to take over his face as he started to walk out of the kitchen. He wasn't in trouble! Freedom hadn't tasted so good! Letting out a quiet laugh, Roxas began turning the corner to the hallway that would lead to his room.

"Oh, and by the way, Roxas, you're grounded for being late." Roxas flinched as his mother's smug tone reached his ears. Seriously, she sounded a bit too smug for it to be an act of concerned parenting. His father laughed at his hunched over figure in the doorway and gave him a nudge up the stairs to his room, chuckles ringing and way too happy. Defeated, Roxas began the slow trudge to his room, the place that would become both a prison and a sanctuary since he was now confined to the house. Sighing, he walked into his room and dumped his books onto his bed, flicking on the overhead light so that he could start his homework. Since he was grounded, he would have time on the weekend for all of his chores. Those kinds of things could wait.

Settling down at his desk, Roxas grabbed his chemistry book and opened it up to the right page for outlining the next chapter, ignoring the fact that there were so many other things that he felt like he needed to figure out first.

"Chemical and physical changes are accompanied by a change in energy. This energy can be divided into two categories. Kinetic energy (KE) is the energy of motion. It can be calculated from KE = 1/2 (m)urms squared…" Roxas's voice trailed off as he glanced up from the book with no desire to continue.

_Can't this wait? I'm so tired…_

His thoughts trailed off as he gave a dejected sigh and looked back down at the book, pencil in hand as he continued to take notes.

"Where _m_ is the mass of the object moving and _u_rms is the average (root mean square) speed of the object. Temperature reflects the movement of molecules, and heat is one type of kinetic energy. The other type of energy is potential energy, the energy of position. Chemical bonds are one example of potential energy..."

_So why not go to sleep…? _

Roxas jerked awake, shaking his head and clearing his throat, glancing from the book to his clock, angry that only about 15 minutes had passed since he'd started.

"The absolute energy of any substance, is nearly impossible to measure. However, changes in energy are not. A system undergoing an energy change can transfer energy to or from its surroundings…"

_The man said I knew him…_

"The first law of thermodynamics says that energy is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction…"

_He's probably insane…_

"Therefore if the energy change of the surroundings can be measured, the energy change of the system is the same (although the direction is opposite)…"

_Need… to keep… my eyes… open…_

"Two types of energy (both kinetic) are commonly measured, heat and work…"

_Who was he?_

"So the change in overall energy (_E_) is the sum of heat (_q_) and work (_w_). Work, the force required to move an object some distance, is often in the form of a volume change at constant pressure (_P__V_ work)…"

_So… tired…_

_"_Since it is the volume change of the surroundings that is measured, the energy change of the system is _E_ = _q_ – _P__V_…"

_Just go to sleep, Roxas._

_Enthalpy is… the more…general measure… of the energy… of …a system…_

_He was walking down a hallway, steps light and carefree. The walls around him were a warm, inviting cream and the carpet was thick and white. The sound of a child laughing jerked him out of his walk, and curiously he turned towards a door. A large, childish grin broke over his features as he pushed the door open eagerly, excited to play too. _

_"Roxas, there you are!" A boy in red pants and a white and blue shirt jumped up from the game he was playing on the floor by himself. Running over with eagerness that only a child could have, the boy grabbed him and dragged him over to the action figures that were in various poses of fighting. Dark brown hair covered his face as he looked down with intense concentration, his hair sticking up everywhere though it looked like someone had tried to tame it somewhat. Looking back up, Roxas had the sensation of looking into eyes just like his before they looked back down and the boy picked up the figure of a mouse with a sword. _

_"King Mickey is fighting against Maleficent and her loyal servant, Sergeant Pete." He said solemnly, picking up the figure of a duck and a weird, gangly dog on two feet. The dog had buck teeth and a funny orange hat that was lopsided as the boy had pushed the dog's arms over its head as it brandished a shield. _

_"Maleficent can't win." Roxas replied easily, grabbing the witch and pulling her staff from her grip. The boy laughed brightly at Roxas's statement and nodded eagerly, making the mouse brandish his sword courageously. _

_"Of course not, she's the bad guy, Roxas." The boy giggled and grabbed a rather large dog-thing with a snarl about its mouth and a sword in its hand. He made the two dog things attack each other, his giggles growing as the good dog beat the bad dog. _

_"She's the bad girl, Sora." Roxas corrected him. The boy named Sora nodded slowly, but his mischievous smile showed that he didn't care. _

_They played together for a little bit, both of them laughing as they slowly beat back the bad guys until Sora suddenly looked up, startled at a small noise in the hallway._

_"Roxas, what was that?" He asked slowly, his grip tight on his Mickey action figure._

_"What do you mean? I don't hear anything." Roxas shrugged and turned back to Hades and his cronies that were going to be thrown into the lava vat, but before he could, Sora let out a small whimper and Roxas turned to him, worried. Dropping the Hades action figure Roxas grabbed Sora's hand, trying to get his attention so that he could ask what was wrong. _

_"Roxas… I think someone's in the house." Sora whispered, his cobalt blue eyes wide with unmistakable fear. Eyebrows scrunched together, Roxas turned from his brother to the door that had been closed when he'd entered the bedroom. _

_"Sora, I don't hear-"His voice cut off with a silent gasp as he heard the sound of metal sliding against metal, a sound he'd been taught to fear because of his father's job, a job that he'd made sure that Sora and Roxas both understood. _

_It was the sound of swords meeting right before a dual._

"_Sora, get under the bed." Roxas whispered as he grabbed the toys up in his arms and put them quietly back in their box. If they could hide, they'd be ok. Just as long as no one came in looking for them, they'd be ok. The noise grew louder as a sharp, __clang!__ Reverberated throughout the house and Roxas shook his head, fear tightening his throat as the sound grew louder. They couldn't hide under the bed now. Frantically, Roxas looked around the room and spied the window that they could climb out of. Behind him, Sora let out a hardly audible gasp of fear, but he ignored it. Instead, he listened to the way that the metal sound was becoming loud and striking, slowly hitting faster and faster. Someone was in the house. Someone was fighting someone in the house. _

_Fear settled into his stomach, and Roxas turned around and yanked his brother up by the arm, trying to catch his attention. _

_"Look Sora," He said evenly, grabbing Sora's face with one hand. "We're going to go out of the window, ok? We have to be quiet though. We can't let them know that we're here." Sora's eyes were wide with fear and worry, and every time the noise sounded he winced, eyes clenched tight before widening again. Roxas could feel his pulse under his arm, and it was racing quickly, just like his. Turning towards the window, Roxas reached under the bed and pulled out two different book bags. Handing one to Sora, Roxas shouldered the other and slowly opened the window, relieved that it didn't make any unnecessary noises. Sliding it half way up, he motioned for Sora to go through, and then he slipped in after him, closing the window as he did so, his father's words echoing in his head. _

_Getting a stable grip on the rooftop, Roxas and Sora slowly began climbing to the side, careful to keep their movements slow, just like they'd been taught. As they reached the side of the house, they began a very cautious, adrenaline ridden descent towards the fence that stopped at the bottom of the roof. Reaching it, Roxas watched Sora clamber down first, eyes on the window where their room was, heart thudding erratically in his chest. Would someone see them? What would happen? What was he going to do? Where were they going to go? _

_"Come on, Roxas!" Sora whisper-called up to him. Jerking himself from his silent panicking Roxas grabbed the side of the fence and stuck his feet in the holes in the old privacy fence, lowering himself hesitantly to the ground. Sora touched his back reassuringly, and Roxas smiled down at his brother, happy to see that though he was scared and panicking, he was locking the feelings down deep inside. At least he'd learned how to do that. _

_Silently communicating, Roxas motioned towards the woods behind their house, and the two began quickly running towards it, keeping to the sides of their fence, knowing that a direct run would end badly. Sora ran faster, but he kept back, hand held tightly in Roxas's as they slipped past the grass that reached up to their waists, a sign of the neglect their father had for a tidy yard. Roxas gritted his teeth as he ran into something instead of hopping over it, and his shin protested as he kept running, right behind Sora. _

_"When we reach the woods, we're going to go-"_

_"Well, well, well… look what we have here…"_

There was a sensation of falling, and then Roxas hit the floor with a dull _thud_ and a groan of pain. Groggily he painfully twisted around and out of the chair that he'd fallen asleep in, trying to break free from his restraint. His back ached and his knees stung as he pulled himself up and onto his bed, blearily looking around his room with a wince plastered to his face. In front of him his desk held his homework from the day before, open and obviously not finished, and the chair had fallen over with him. Giving a non-committed groan he stretched slowly, able to tell just where the bruise on his back was simply from the tense and achy feeling he got right at the center of it. Gritting his teeth at the tense feeling his muscles had, Roxas looked blearily up at the ceiling and stretched again, joints and back popping as he tried to wake up. Blinking slowly, he looked over at his clock to see the numbers 7:34 A.M. glowing up at him.

It took about five seconds before he freaked.

"You've got to be kidding me!" He snapped, jumping up and grabbing clean clothes from his drawer before he rushed into the bathroom, muttering under his breath angrily as he tossed his stuff onto the floor and jumped into the shower, pulling his clothing off at random.

Running through the daily motions at the fastest pace he could manage, Roxas managed to get his clothing on right after the third try, and his teeth brushed and hair styled without any added injury. Running into his room he shoved his feet into his shoes (easier than tying them) and grabbed his bag, shoving his A-Day books into his bag and turning to run out of the room. Down the hall he went, giving a greeting to his startled mother and reaching into the fridge for an apple. Turning back around he gave her a swift kiss and nodded to the fridge where it showed his work schedule to be until six that night, meaning he'd be home earlier.

"That's good sweetie, _just remember that you're grounded_!" Her remark was made to a sulking teenager as he grabbed his skateboard and ran out of the door, dropping the board down and jumping onto it so that he could go to top speeds to reach the bus, knowing that he was too late to meet up with Hayner, Pence, and Olette to walk together. He was forty-five minutes too late to do that.

Dodging around people and pushing against the ground with more force than usual, Roxas narrowly missed running over the old guy who was always out and about, mailing a letter in the morning. The old man waved but Roxas was too distracted to notice, annoyance at being late settling in. If he was late, not only would he have to serve detention for Mrs. Anna later in the day, he'd have another detention the day after. Gritting his teeth, Roxas sharply turned the corner and picked up speed as he glided down hill and around another corner to the bus stop. Seeing the bus stationed there and about to pull away, Roxas put on another burst of speed, adrenaline pumping as he tried to reach it so that he wasn't late for school. _Come on, come on!_ He frowned as the bus made a squelching noise and began to pull off, and with a last ditch effort he kick flipped sideways, managing to grab a hold of the handle on the side of it so that he could hoist himself up onto the platform. The bus was like a trolley that ferried people around town towards the educational district, and it had no doors so that people could hop on and off at their leisure.

Relief spread through Roxas as he scooped his board up and held it idly in one hand, ignoring the laughter and looks that the townspeople were giving him for his now disheveled appearance from trying to make the bus in time.

"Late for school, eh, Roxas?" The gruff tone made Roxas smile for the first time that morning, and he turned to greet the bus driver, Cid. He'd known Cid most of his life and the guy was basically a genius mechanic. Cid owned the mechanic garage that everyone went to when their cars or other machines acted up, and he always fixed it. Cid even owned two planes he'd built from the ground up, but Roxas had only seen one before. When he'd asked about the other, Cid had scratched his straw colored hair before speaking around his toothpick that he'd show him another time. Though Cid was gruff and some people thought him to be really mean, he was always looking out for Roxas the way some other adults tried to get him in trouble.

"Yes sir." Roxas grinned again as Cid gave a great harrumph before switching gears and picking up speed as they turned in the direction of the school.

"I'll stop there first today Roxas, but you'll owe me." Cid said gruffly as a couple of people who were on the bus for work complained at his detour. Usually he dropped people off on the way to the school, but now he was taking a shortcut, thus making wait longer.

"Of course." Roxas laughed as he stepped up to the driver's area so that they could talk without yelling.

"Hear about that man down at the beach?" Roxas asked as they ran over something, causing a big bump. There was some laughter from a few of the morning people, but most glared over at Roxas, blaming him for their driver changing routes. Ignoring their glares, he waited for Cid to answer from around his toothpick.

"Yeah, it's all these folk here talk about." Cid muttered angrily, glancing up at his rear view mirror as he changed gears again and picked up speed. "You'd think they'd have much more to be concerned about, but the moment some weirdo shows up they're ready to write a book about him. Why, you wanna know something?" He turned a sharp eye onto Roxas and raised an eyebrow, teeth bared to keep his toothpick in place.

"Just curious… everyone's been talking about it." Roxas felt a little sheepish to want to know so much. And yet, he knew he needed to find something out about that man that had cornered him. He was sure now that the guy was the same one from the beach, and that meant that the thing that had pulled him back was probably the vine that he'd seen lying on the ground. A shiver ran through him that he'd been that close to the creep who'd been killing the animals on the beach, and he averted his eyes from Cid's sharp stare. The guy was smarter than everyone gave him credit for, and he knew more than other's would think. Cid could read people better than they could read themselves sometimes.

"Just know he's up to no good, running around here. Haint seen him though; good for him, I say. He comes around here with his queerness and I'll put a stop to it, you can bet on it." Cid grumbled the last part to himself. Roxas let out a laugh that seemed rather forced as they continued driving, his mind beginning to wander as the conversation dwindled. The first thing his thoughts landed on was the dream he'd had. A cold feeling suffocated his veins as he thought about it, and once again Roxas had to admit to himself that the dream had seemed more than a dream. He'd felt the fear, and-unconsciously- he reached down and gently massaged his shin as if he expected it to be tender. He'd felt the pain and he'd felt the adrenaline. There was no way that was just a dream.

Then what was it? What had he seen so vividly that it made him stomach roil unpleasantly to remember it? Who was the boy-Sora?-that had trusted him and clung to him, watching him with eyes just like his? In the dream-that wasn't a dream-he had been his brother… but Roxas was an only child. His mother hadn't been able to have kids until Roxas had come along, a miracle child that had almost died during birth. So why did the boy seem so close to him? And then that voice… that voice of sardonic amusement and bitter words… it seemed so familiar to him for some reason.

As a bump in the road made him almost drop his skateboard, Roxas racked his brains to remember where he'd heard such a chilling tone before. He tried putting faces with voices, but he couldn't think of anything. Roxas didn't talk to people whose very manner of speaking made blood freeze.

Roxas let out a sigh as he realized he was thinking too hard. He was letting things get to him that shouldn't get to him. So what if he'd had a bad dream? It wasn't exactly normal to always have good dreams, why was he freaking out now? And so what if that man was looking for him; he'd found him and had left him alone afterwards. Obviously, his job-whatever it was-was finished. The dreams weren't connected to the guy, they were probably just a reaction to the stress school and work both gave him. Nodding to himself at his logical reasoning, Roxas rolled his shoulders back, almost feeling the tension lift from his muscles. There wasn't anything weird going on; he was just blowing things out of proportion because he was stuck in a rut, not used to random out of the blue situations. Silently laughing at his overactive imagination, Roxas looked out over the slightly blurring buildings where the sun rose high in the sky, promising a hot day to anyone who stayed outside.

Picking up speed, Cid began turning another corner and slammed onto the gas, letting out a whoop of excitement when the bus tipped slightly onto two wheels, sending Roxas flying across the bus before slamming back onto four wheels and throwing him unceremoniously onto the ground with an undignified _Oomph._

"Careful down there, eh, Roxas?" Cid called out cheerily in gruff tones, laughing with a gravelly sound in his throat. Wincing, Roxas pulled himself back up and wrapped a hand tightly around the pole for passengers to grip for dear life as Cid drove like a mad-man down the street towards Twilight High.

And Roxas didn't loosen his grip, no matter how many times Cid laughingly promised to go a little slower around the turns.

* * *

"And why are we late to school today, Roxas?" His first period AP World History teacher, Mr. McDuck asked with a slight trill to his words. Mr. McDuck was a really good teacher, but a really stern teacher. He was tall and skinny with small, circular bifocals and had a habit of walking around with a cane and a top hat. When he was angry, he tapped his foot and put his hands on his really small hips, just like was doing at the moment. Behind Roxas, Rikku and Yuna gave their support, small giggles telling him it was more amusing than serious.

"I woke up late, sir." Roxas chimed back, trying to seem serious and apologetic. Clearing his face, he remained stoic as Mr. McDuck scratched his tuft of white hair on the top of his head and then ran his hand down his small white beard on his pale face. Finally, he let out a sigh and motioned for Roxas to take his seat next to Rikku, which Roxas did gratefully.

"I'll let it slide today, Roxas, and only because we have a special guest today. Today, I decided to call in a professor who could tell you a bit about the world as it is today. I expect you to all be courteous and respectful, and when he is talking, you do not talk. If you behave well, there will be no homework." Mr. McDuck cleared his throat and set a stern glare on Rikku who let out a nervous giggle before nodding her head understandingly.

"So who's the speaker?" Paine asked from the back of the room, voice dull and impatient.

"You will address him as Mr. LeonHart and nothing else. When he arrives-"

"Just Leon will do." A low and husky voice suddenly spoke up from one of the corners, and the entire class went deathly quiet as the man stepped out of the darker part of the room and into the lighted area for the teacher. Mr. McDuck gave a slightly startled jump and stepped back, eyes wide behind his glasses as he tried to figure out where the man had materialized from. Roxas stared avidly, impressed at his entrance, studying the man intently. The man wasn't necessarily overly tall, but he had a commanding presence that made everyone almost too nervous to talk, even if they wanted to. His dark hair was parted in the middle, but a couple of strands didn't seem to want to cooperate with him and fell across his forehead, dark brown against tanned features. His eyes were greenish-blue and reflected light strangely.

The most prominent feature on his face though would have to be the scar that went across his nose and some of his cheek.

"What happened to your face?" Rikku asked bluntly, breaking the silence the man created with just a look. Roxas did a face-palming motion and Paine made a snort of laughter from the back, but the rest of the class remained motionless, eyes darting from the speaker to their overly ditzy friend to judge what his reaction would be. As if realizing she'd said something she shouldn't, Rikku shrunk in her seat. She sunk lower as he assessed her with a piercing stare.

"I got it by traveling throughout the world." Leon's husky voice was slightly forced, like he was choosing his words carefully, and Roxas had to applaud him for his obvious self control. Not many people would notice that Rikku wasn't meaning to be rude. The guy seemed to be able to know exactly what her intentions were, and wasn't offended by the way she'd asked an obviously personal question.

"Mr. McDuck asked me to speak about the different civilizations that are out there… but I've come to speak about something more… detrimental to your knowledge." He'd continued speaking after a moment of dead silence, much to Roxas's interest. The guy was foreign, judging from the slight accent in his voice, something that you didn't hear every day in Twilight Town.

"There are things in your history books that people mention, but just barely. Who here can tell me about the history of the country, BellaBeast?" A couple of hands were raised and anxious to impress the man who commanded their attention, but Leon didn't seem too concerned with them and their over eager feelings. Roxas shifted uncomfortably as he realized that the man's eyes were trained on him, steady and unyielding.

"Roxas, tell me about BellaBeast." Leon said in a strange, grave voice. Dejected, the students lowered their hands, and Roxas cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to remember what his teacher had told him about weeks ago in their one day unit on the country BellaBeast.

"It was taken over in the 1600's by a strange beast… in their northern neighboring country, and he promised that he would rule justly for them instead of as a tyrant if they gave him a girl from their land to rule as queen beside him. They gave him-" Roxas was cut off as Leon raised a hand to silence him.

"How did he defeat them, Roxas?" Leon's voice became edgier, and if Roxas could confidently come to a conclusion, he'd have said that the guy was trying to lead him to something. Shaking his head at the direction of his thoughts, Roxas forced him mind to the matter at hand. The guy wasn't trying to lead him to any thoughts; he'd just asked a question!

"Uh…" Glancing down at his book, Roxas resisted the urge to skim through it and find the answer. Laughter filtered through the room, but Leon wasn't laughing with them. Greenish eyes peered down at him with an unreadable expression, waiting. Roxas racked his brains, trying to come up with something substantial, but all he could do was draw blanks. What was so special about the beast's armies?

_They had special powers, Roxas._ Roxas jerked from his daze as the voice filled his mind, light and gentle as it gave him the answer. Uneasily, Roxas peered up at Leon to see the man gazing back at him, eyebrow raised as he waited for an answer patiently. The students around him shifted awkwardly in their chairs, and Mr. McDuck gave a clearing of his throat to voice his impatience. Though he felt concern for the voice that was suddenly back in his mind, Roxas felt the pressure of looking like an idiot pressing down on his shoulders as well. What was more important; image with his peers or his own sanity because he could hear voices? Looking back up at Leon, Roxas grinned.

"They had special powers." He said confidently. Rikku snickered beside him, shaking her head, and Yuna gave a sigh of exasperation, but Leon looked appraisingly at him for a moment before giving a jerk of his head and turning to face the other students.

"They did have special powers." He informed the class, unsurprised when Yuffie raised a hand impatiently, a frown gracing her usually cheerful features.

"Our book tells us that they had superior technology." She corrected Roxas and Leon with a smile, but Leon shocked her by smiling as well. It wasn't exactly a nice look, and if anything it almost verged towards becoming a grimace.

"That is what the book says." He agreed, turning away for a moment and glancing at Mr. McDuck. "But your teacher decided that you needed all of the facts, not just your books information. There were things the historians and the government has changed for your ears and eyes. The superior technology wasn't in the armor or the swords. If anything, their actual weaponry wasn't in what they wore or held in their hands. It was in the army itself.

"The Beast's armies were made entirely of nobodies."

There was an uproar at that, students raising their hands and Yuffie trying to correct him again, bright tone over the din of students claiming that he was fabricating evidence and judging people based on their status. A student whose nose was usually stuck in manga and DC comic books watched Leon with his jaw dropped, eyes wide with excitement, but the top student was angry, shouting along with Yuffie that everybody was a somebody despite how they lived or what they'd done. Leon merely waited with his hands on his hips as they talked, his eyes back on Roxas and making him feel awkward to be so scrutinized. Was this Leon guy really staring at him so intently? Maybe he was just imagining it. He didn't know Leon either, so the guy wouldn't single him out with his stare just for kicks.

So why was he still looking at him?

"What do you mean by nobodies?" Yuna finally asked, trying to be diplomatic. At this Leon shifted his gaze and the grin he flashed was almost like a wince before he raised a hand to get everyone's attention back on him and off of their different arguments they were bringing up.

"Nobodies are an ancient myth." Desereth snapped from next to Paine, his tone condescending.

"No, they're in my comic book." The kid in front of him snapped, pulling it out to jab a finger on the title page. A couple of kids laughed, but at Leon's stare, they quickly shut up.

"Nobodies are what helped The Beast take over BellaBeast. They are people… without hearts." There were several gasps at that and more than one snort of disbelief, but Leon continued, eyes trained on Roxas once again as he spoke. "Instead of hearts, they have a substance called aether, which functions the same as a heart, but pumps another fluid into their system that gives these nobodies special gifts." Roxas watched as Leon looked away, a frown pulling his lip down to one side, and a shiver passed over the boy's spine for no apparent reason. Something told him that Leon was there not just as a speaker, but there for him as well. _Where did that come from_? _Why would I think that, anyway? Didn't I already say that there was no stock in my dreams and that stupid guy from yesterday?_ Struggling to concentrate, Roxas watched as several people rolled their eyes and scoffed at Leon's words, but Yuffie, Paine, Yuna, Rikku, and Roxas listened intently. There was something in his haggard voice that made it seem like it was true, despite everyone else's scathing remarks.

"So these nobodies have super powers?" Huey asked cautiously. Leon continued walking slowly around the class, hand at his waist like he was used to something being there.

"Not super powers. Things like elemental control or mind reading, yes. Some had gifts of being able to restore or create memories inside the heads of their victims," At this Leon's eyes flicked back to Roxas, and his gaze narrowed as he watched him, "and they could take away memories so that people wouldn't know anything about their past. They were mainly unheard of though, keeping their guards up and their powers concealed so that regular people couldn't stop them from using their gifts. But when certain officials heard about this group of people, a study was conducted, and aether was discovered.

"Generally the doctors and others dismissed the idea of people having gifts such as telepathy and the ability to walk through walls. People scorned the idea, and it was repressed as the ravings of a mad man in 1532. Some people believed in this though, and a cult was fashioned to hunt these people down. And kill them." Roxas's mouth went dry at those words, his face twisted as Leon looked dead at him, a hidden meaning flashing in his eyes.

_"He's not a human… he's a __nobody__. A nobody, dear children, has no heart, and therefore, no soul." _The words flashed from his dream through his mind, and once again Roxas felt as if he were remembering something, not dreaming it. The fear, the dank cold, the red moonlight… it was all there, in his head. But where did it fit? Hadn't he just thought that it was nothing but a dream? So why was it coming back up in a keynote speaker's discussion? Was his dream saying that the guy was one of those hunters? Frustrated and uneasy, Roxas kept his gaze fastened onto Leon, listening intently. In the back of his head he noted that most of the class was also quiet and listening as well.

"Why would they kill them?" Rikku asked angrily with her hand stuck in the air.

"Because certain theorists concluded that because these people had no hearts… they had no soul. It was said that everything humane about a person was gone because they had no heart to hold it. You couldn't test to find a soul, so they believed that it wasn't there. You couldn't test aether, so there was nothing to test. In the eyes of many there was nothing to make them human, therefore they were nothing. Hence the name nobodies." Leon's face became very grave as he turned to the rest of the class, eyes piercing someone else instead of Roxas for the moment, giving him time to breathe. There was a dull roar in his ears as if the pressure was building in his very head, and it was like he'd just run a mile or something. His knees trembled and his heart ached for no reason other than the many people who'd died for things like that kind of belief.

_"It's not a sin to kill a nobody."_ The words were harsh in his mind. The words of the supposed father in his dream.

"Wait," Roxas suddenly raised his hand in the air, frowning as the idea hit him. "You said this was in 1532. How long were these nobody hunters around after that time period?" He asked worriedly, mind reeling. _Please denounce my thoughts, please tell me I'm wrong, please…_

"They're still around, Roxas. They still have an organization, but the government hasn't been able to find it because they operate underground, like a gang would." Feeling very much like he'd been slapped, Roxas shrunk down in his seat, disappointed as he nodded slowly.

A silence descended onto the classroom as Leon observed their suddenly somber attitudes. It was like someone had but an off switch on their excitement, and they were all finally taking him seriously. No one in the room was rolling their eyes or scoffing anymore. The presence Leon held over them was suffocating, and shut off all sound save for the ticking of the clock that seemed suddenly a bit too loud.

"Are these nobodies still around?" Yuna finally asked softly, hand shaking slightly in the air. Leon turned and observed their small group up front, something of a smile ghosting over his lips before it disappeared.

"Nobodies know." He replied.

* * *

As the bell rang, Roxas uneasily began collecting his books, not wanting to leave. He still had questions for Leon, questions that he was going to demand answers to. For some reason he felt like this whole thing was connected in some way, and he wanted it to end. Things felt like they were going to begin rolling soon, whatever they were, and Roxas wanted nothing to do with it. Whatever it was, he knew it had to be bad.

And then the way Leon had kept looking at him! Roxas had the strange feeling like he was trying to tell him something directly, trying to convey a message to him and him alone. He was going to get answers for that, too.

"Thank you for talking to them, Mr. LeonHart." Mr. McDuck was shaking hands with the somber man, gloved hands clasping calloused ones firmly. Leon nodded slowly as he reached across a desk to pull up a bag and a black leather jacket, swinging them over one shoulder and turning slightly to assess the teacher in front of him with a critical gaze.

"There are things in history students need to have addressed." Leon replied in his low voice, frowning slightly like something wasn't right.

"Mr. Leon?" Roxas decided right then would be a perfect time to question him since he also had something to address. Slowly, Leon turned to face him, face a little too innocently schooled to be normal.

"Do you need something?" Leon began to walk past him, motioning with his free hand that Roxas should follow. Uneasily Roxas did so, looking back at Mr. McDuck with a look that quite clearly read, 'I have no idea what I'm doing'. Mr. McDuck shook his head slowly and motioned for Roxas to follow before the older gentleman gave a small sigh and walked over to his desk.

"Uh… it's about earlier in class." Roxas forced down the uneasiness he felt around the man despite the fight or flight rush that was running through him. The man made him edgy.

"And?" Leon glanced back at him with the same look he'd given Roxas in class, and that gave Roxas the courage to continue on with his embarrassing question, now having proof that he hadn't imagined the guy staring at him.

"Why were you… staringatmeinclass?" He rushed the last words quickly, turning bright red as it hit him just how odd that question would sound. Was he trying to make the guy sound like a pedophile? Looking down sheepishly as Leon stopped walking to turn and stare at him with a raised eyebrow, Roxas tried again. "I mean, you were asking me the questions only, and you kept looking at me like I should know what you were talking about." There was nothing but a dead silence in the hallway as Roxas stared at the floor and Leon stared at him, the thickness in the air so dense you could cut it with a knife. Taking a slow, unsteady breath, Roxas looked up at Leon with a frown.

"What makes you think I was looking only at you?" Leon asked sardonically, each word precise and cut like sarcasm. His eyebrow was still raised as he observed Roxas with amusement in his eyes. Embarrassment flooded Roxas and he turned a bright red, eyes on the floor once again as his logic roundly abused him for his mouth spouting out words on its own. _Didn't I say this was all nothing to worry about?_ His thoughts rushed frantically as he waited for the silence to stop feeling so heavy and repressive.

"I mean, you kept asking me the questions even though everyone else obviously knew the answers." Roxas finally managed to say past his minor irritation. His irritation? He was now quite convinced that he was going insane.

"They didn't need reviewing like you did. How did you come up with the idea about the army having special powers? That's not a known fact, kid." Leon asked suspiciously as he continued to stare. He held his jacket and bag tightly in one hand, but he maneuvered it down by his waist, placing his other hand on his hip as he watched with unfathomable eyes. Shifting uncomfortably, Roxas frowned as he debated whether or not he should tell someone about the voice that had popped into his head randomly. He could ignore the other things and claim them as coincidence, but he couldn't claim that he hadn't heard a voice. That, he knew actually happened. But should he tell Leon that? He seemed like a straightforward guy who would probably think him a liar, but what other choice did he have? The guy wasn't from around Twilight Town… maybe he could help?

"Yeah, I knew; just like I know you were staring at me in class!" Ok, so maybe he didn't plan on telling him that fact. Instead, he had decided to blurt out a total lie, and an uncertain truth all in one sentence. Clenching his hands into fists, Roxas stared up at Leon challengingly, not wanting to show fear that he'd just called the guy out. Again. Instead, he watched as Leon set his bag calmly onto the floor slipping his jacket on over his regular old t-shirt, hardly glancing at Roxas as he did so. Shifting from foot to foot, Roxas waited, hoping that the guy wasn't like a dog that could smell fear.

"You're a little too edgy about this for it to be just about me looking at you in class." The man finally observantly pointed out, folding his arms and leaning slightly against the wall nonchalantly and yet still tensed as if expecting someone to come up behind him. If Roxas didn't know better, he would almost say that Leon seemed to be a fighter veteran, someone who was used to having to be cautious and deadly. In a fight, the guy would be able to beat him hands down. He could sense it from the way that Leon held himself and the way his sharp eyes seemed to see everything.

"I- what?" Roxas's good retort was cut off as he actually interpreted what the man had just told him. Had he seen through his defense that easily? Was it so simple to see that something else was messing him up and causing him to over think things? If it were so obvious, then shouldn't there also be an obvious solution to his now seemingly simple problem?

"What did I say that's bugging you?" Leon asked bluntly, impatience displayed throughout the tenseness of his shoulders and the way he kept looking up and down the hall. Roxas also looked down the hallway and realized that the entire area was void of people, second period of A day already started. That would be his second tardy of the day, and he had to go. Leon obviously wasn't giving him answers, and wasn't planning on it. Frustrated, he got a better grip on his book bag and glowered.

"It's not what you said, it's-"

"Nothing I said." Leon cut him off, head tilted and jaw set stubbornly. He didn't believe him. Glaring, Roxas nodded, knowing his lie was a bit more believable now that he believed it as well.

"No, nothing you said. I have to go." Fueling his frustration into walking, Roxas dodged past the guy and started his trek to literature, hoping his usually lenient teacher would go easy on him for being late to her class as well. She was pregnant though, and would probably be in the middle of a mood swing though. Gritting his teeth at another question left unanswered, Roxas picked up his pace.

"Then it must have been what she said." Leon's words stopped Roxas cold, and he couldn't help but whirl around suspiciously, recognizing the tone Leon was using. It was one he'd used the day before when he'd told the voice in his head that it wasn't normal to hear voices. It was a knowing tone, and the look on the man's face matched it. His eyes were narrowed as he took in Roxas's reaction with good humor, shoulders a little less tense than before. Roxas glared though, not knowing the game the guy was trying to play. What did he want, a confession? Roxas wouldn't admit that he was crazy! That's just not how things operated with that boy.

"Something who said?" Roxas asked shiftily, switching shoulders for his bag and carefully avoiding the man's piercing stare, anger building now that he had decided that the conversation was over. He didn't want to stick around; he had bigger fish to fry.

"Something _she_ said." The man repeated with a little more emphasis, but Roxas had had enough. Giving his best glare, he abruptly turned around and began stomping off.

"Don't know why you're asking about girly voices in my head." He snapped out loud, too caught up in his anger to notice his blunder. As he whipped around the corner for class, he didn't notice Leon's self-satisfied smirk as he bent down and retrieved his bag, once again swinging it over his shoulder as he turned towards the stairs.

"And I never mentioned a thing about voices in his head." He informed the empty hallway, too smug for his own good.

* * *

_Hit or Miss? Let me know in a review! Seriously, those are the things that will keep me going with a story... sounds dumb, right? But it's true... the more reviews, the faster I update because I have more drive to update... yup. :D _

Roxas- You know, you made me seem like an overbearing hot head in this... I don't appreciate that...

Axel- At least you were in this chapter! I've been neglected since the first part of chapter one!

Lias- Well, it doesn't tie into the plot...

Roxas- Face it, she didn't want to write about you... the first time you show up you're killing people... and she's making me the hot head!?

Lias- It's just for the-

Axel- Hey, it was only one person, and you have to admit... that scene was AWESOME!

Roxas- ... yeah... yeah, I have to admit...

Lias- :D YAY!


	4. Sprint

_:D Thanks for the reviews, author alerts, story alerts, and favorites!! It made me happy to see that!_

_Yes, Axel is in the chapter :3 yay!_

_Oh, and I listened to Never Take Friendship Personal by Anberlin for the last chapter... really helped me to write!_

_On with the show!_

* * *

He was sauntering down the street with confidence and a smug superiority that arose from the blessing of being naturally arrogant. It didn't matter that he was attracting slightly mocking stares with his tacky and unnatural all black cloak that fit tight at the chest and hips, and it didn't matter that his hair seemed to have a mind of its own, the bright red impossible to miss. No, what mattered was the fact that he was attracting attention, a gift that also went right along with his arrogance and his smug smirk. It was a talent he'd perfected with the way he gave sidelong glances at girls who gave him open, flirtatious smiles, and it was evident in the way he looked wary men right in the eye, daring them to say something.

And naturally, they said something.

"Who is that freak?" One of the men asked, his hand naturally sliding down to the .9 mm pistol that he kept pinned to his hip at all times. His friend shrugged carelessly and watched as the woman he wanted gave a slight wave to the stranger, and then he suddenly was interested as well.

"Don't know… but he's not welcome here." He replied as he spat onto the ground and began following the man with his friend, their presence gathering others around as well, strength growing in numbers. Still, the stranger easily walked down the street, ignoring the people who were following him. This further annoyed the crowd that felt riled up just by looking at him, and they picked up their pace, catching up easily to his slow and laid back stroll. They didn't know exactly why they were riled up, but angry they were, and they were going to find out why.

Little did they know, a sandy haired blonde lounged on a rocking chair nearby, his sitar perched across his stomach as he lazily plucked the melody from the strings, an easy grin on his face. The tune was slow, but the anger that he was planting in the crowd was all too real. It was a burning curiosity that he laced between the annoyance and bitterness, and it served to egg the small town's people into a slightly hostile group. Chuckling, Demyx glanced at his accomplice to see the smug smirk still present on his friend's face. Of course he'd smirk; finally he was getting a challenge.

"It seems like I'm drawing a crowd." He said more to himself than the crowd, but they responded to him all the same.

"Who're you, stranger?" One of them demanded with a frown gracing his face, brown eyes hardened in anger. The red haired man locked hands behind his head as he turned to observe the speaker, green eyes sparking with mild amusement.

"Name's Axel. A-X-E-L… got it memorized? I don't like having to repeat myself." He grinned wryly and tugged at a thick spike of his red hair, holding back laughter as the man's face flushed with anger. The air around him was charged with tension, courtesy of the sitar that played so softly only Axel could hear it. Oh, yes. These people were ready to be knocked off their feet.

And he was the man to ensure that they never got back on them.

"What brings you to these parts, _Axel_." A thick, meaty woman demanded, rolling her eyes at his name like she didn't believe him. Axel grinned and shrugged nonchalantly, letting his arms swing down to his sides before he decided to get the show on the road.

"I'm a street entertainer. Like the getup?" He gestured to his clothes, watching the way the women in the crowd had a glint in their eyes that normal females wouldn't have. He resisted the urge to give a Cheshire cat smile, knowing he had to reel in his amusement. This was just too easy. Honestly, the town was easy to find, courtesy of the mole implanted, and now retribution was in order.

"We don't like folks like you coming around our town. You'd best leave the way you came. Got it memorized?" The man with the thick moustache mocked him as he folded his arms slowly, eyes sparkling angrily. A couple of people gave grunts and soft exclamations of agreement, but the noise stayed to a dull murmur, eyes roving his clothing for a concealed weapon. The sitar gave a slight trill on e minor before Axel let out a low laugh, spreading his arms and giving a nod of the head as a signal. Demyx rocked back in his chair and sunk even lower, making his instrument sing a little louder, weaving through the air like an unwelcome disease.

"Oh, but the show's just about to begin." Axel's lips curled over his teeth like a predator's sneer, and he snapped his fingers, eliciting gasps from the crowd as two small flames spread over his fingertips and wrapped tenderly around his wrists.

"He's a nobody-"

"How'd he find us?"

"Did you tell-"

"We're doomed."

The murmurs of anger and indignation spread, but along with it rose a sudden doubt and fear that made the crowd reek. Axel grinned wolfishly at the man with the moustache, swinging his arms slowly over his head and letting the fire grow stronger, the air supplying life as the tendrils of heat soaked in the fuel and grew.

"This is what happens when you mess with a nobody." Axel said each word distinctly, and with a twist of his body the fire leapt from him, encircling the crowd of edgy, nervous people with a ring of heat. There was cries of surprise and shouts of fear as the people attempted to scramble away from the fire, the leaders of the crowd trying to maintain the order they'd just lost. The man with the moustache however stayed right where he'd been earlier, dark eyes boring into Axel's with hatred as the red head let out a low, devilish laugh and swung low, raising the fire up above everyone's heads. In the background of the pandemonium of screaming and crying, Demyx's sitar crooned a song of panic into the people's hearts, playing along their horror and keeping them from seeking safety. They rushed back and forth, trying to find a space to leap to safety, and in their panicked minds they didn't think to attack Axel to stop it.

"You see, you killed too many… _folks_ like me… and well, that's just got to stop." Axel began slowly advancing on the one man who didn't back down and scramble from the crazed nobody, his eyes sparkling jade in the firelight. The man with the moustache jutted his chin out and though he seemed stoic, as a scream of pain pierced the air, his eyes betrayed his worry.

"So no, I can't go the way I came… got _that_ memorized?" Axel reached the man and swept his hand along the man's chest, swinging the fire sideways and across the people, cutting off their screams as the fire began consuming them, it's oranges and reds and yellows leaping and crackling at the bloodshed it was causing. The man held his ground though, his eyes dancing with the fire as he stared right back at the man before him, his lips pale white underneath the red of his face. Axel cocked his head to the side before he sighed and placed a hand on the man's neck, almost tenderly. The man recoiled though, face hardening as he stared death in the eyes.

"I won't be touched by a nobody." He hissed, fists clenched. Axel laughed at that, and the flames rose higher, cutting off all hopes of escape as it raced around, searching for any scraps that were left in the wreckage.

"And here I thought we could reach a negotiation." Axel replied as he continued advancing on the jumpy man. The sitar wailed in the background, keeping the man's logic from letting him jump though the flames to freedom.

"What are you after? Retribution? Murdering innocent families because of their father's professions?" The man spat in the dirt, the fire greedily hissing and spitting at his action. "I'd die than negotiate with a nobody like you. A heartless being like you doesn't deserve to live. You were never part of God's plan." Axel shook his head slowly, an evil grin taking over the amused one as he shrugged and waved his hand, sweeping a curtain of fire over the man and cutting off the cry of agony as the flames lapped up his dying breath.

"I was never one for following plans like that though. Get that memorized." Axel spat, turning away and slipping around his creation, the heat welcoming and almost like a light caress instead of a burn. Reaching the porch his friend resided on, Axel nodded his head and they slipped around the back of the house, the music cutting off as Axel gave a sweep of his hand and let his precious gift rain over the homes, hissing in delight as they reached the dry wood of the buildings.

"What are you doing?" Demyx asked, horrified as he glanced back with barely concealed sadness. He was never one for death and unnecessary destruction. Looking back at his friend though, he saw the fury and recklessness on his face, and understood. Whenever they killed a nobody hunter, the bastards who possessed less hearts than they did, something always happened to set Axel off.

"Axel, he's fine. You got the heartless, it's going to be ok." Demyx desperately looked back to the burning blaze that was growing steadily larger behind them, and then he heard screams of fear and pain as it reached the innocents of the town that harbored nobody hunters. Axel didn't reply though, and Demyx knew why. He didn't bring it up, but he knew by the way that the man let his creation destroy the town that it was about Roxas. He was scared for Roxas.

"What are you doing to yourself? What are you doing?" He felt the urge to douse the town with water, but he withheld the desire. It would only make Axel angrier.

"Burning it," Axel replied darkly, jade eyes sparkling. "I'm burning it all." _For him_.

* * *

Roxas's day did not go well. After being tripped in the hallways at _least_ four times by four different people for no apparent reason, he was also the target of a paper ball fight, and then had chocolate milk splattered across the side of his favorite pair of pants, thus reducing him to patting the side of his leg with a napkin for five minutes to dry it so he wouldn't walk around with a random wet stain on the side of his leg all day.

All in all, not his favorite day.

When the end of it was finally reached, Roxas tiredly met up with his friends and they walked towards his work, happy to note that he would get off early. He then burst their bubbles when he informed them that he would go straight home since he was grounded for being home late the night before. Olette and Pence were sympathetic, nodding gravely since they understood how parents could always nag and push a lot. Hayner reacted the way he always did. He was therefore a complete ass.

"Great, so now how am I supposed to practice for the struggle match this weekend?" Hayner demanded as he faced Roxas head on, arms folded angrily. Rolling his eyes Roxas swerved around Hayner and continued his slow procession on his skateboard with Olette and Pence, shrugging noncommittally as he did so. Honestly, the struggled match was the least of his concerns now. The situation with Leon flooded his mind again and he frowned in annoyance.

"Pence could show you what you're doing wrong." Olette suggested, trying to be diplomatic and ease the tension Hayner was giving off.

"Pence can't fight; Roxas, are you even going to the struggle?" Hayner asked as he caught up to them, glaring at the ground as he walked. His hands were tucked behind his head in an I-don't-care attitude but the tenseness around his eyes told otherwise. He was obviously annoyed that he wasn't going to be able to practice with his friend, and he had no problem saying so. Roxas resisted the urge to tell him that it wasn't any of his business, and instead gave another shrug, watching the ground as well and studiously avoided his friend's stares.

"What's up with you?" Pence voiced the question that was floating in all of their heads. Roxas glanced up at him and sighed, silently debating whether or not he should tell them. He hadn't heard the voice since class, so maybe it wasn't important to talk about it? Maybe if he ignored it, it wouldn't happen again. And yet the way Leon had acted after class had made him suspicious all over again, like he was supposed to be figuring something out. But what would he have to figure out? What was so detrimental to his health or whatever that he had some random man asking for him, dreams that acted more than dreams should, and a voice with a feminine hint to it? He had so many questions to ask, and yet there were no answers for him, at all. It was like running repeatedly into a wall; all he did was send his mind in circles. Painfully.

"What do you mean?" He carefully avoided the question, swerving around the corner and waiting for his friends to catch up, feeling guilty that he was shutting them out. Friends should always tell friends things, right? And yet he didn't want to tell them that he'd heard another voice in his head. He didn't want to relive the anger and fear from the hooded man the night before. He didn't want to tell them just to have them denounce it as just minor strange coincidences. Or worse; he didn't want them to pity him.

"Ever since yesterday, you've been acting weird. What happened?" Olette caught up easily and looped her fingers through his, large green eyes trying to hold the gaze that was studiously avoiding her. Ignoring the way that all three of them were now silent and waiting for him to answer, Roxas pursed his lips and tried to think about a way to explain. He didn't want to tell them everything that was going on; it was unnecessary and would cause problems. Olette would try to fix everything and Hayner would hunt the madman down. Pence… would probably just ask too many questions and follow them. What were they supposed to do anyway, beat the guy up for asking for him? Roxas's back twinged in pain, and he corrected himself mentally. They would beat him for beating Roxas.

"Er, hello? Earth to Roxas?" Pence waved a hand in front of Roxas's eyes and he jerked back, staring at them with wide eyes as he realized that he hadn't responded at all. Clenching his jaw in the universal sign of stubbornness, Roxas saw the approaching back door for work, and he realized that he'd found his exit.

"It's nothing- look I'll see you guys later." Hurriedly Roxas gave a panicked kick of his skateboard, jerking his hand from Olette's and pushing him towards what seemed like freedom.

If only he knew.

* * *

What had seemed like a relief to Roxas quickly turned into a nightmare. As he walked out of the back room, fully dressed in work attire, Wakka greeted him hurriedly and tossed his notepad to him, motioning towards the flooded room where Selphi and Rikku struggled to keep up with the tides of humans. Tidus worked shifts every other day with them, but Roxas silently wished he was there; he was really good with rushes. Jumping into the fray of impatient people, Roxas quickly seated his area of tables and systematically began taking orders, drinking an energy drink every time he went into the back room so that he'd stay on top of things.

It wasn't until 5:30 that the nightmare really surfaced though.

"I'll have a small bowl of sea salt ice cream." Roxas was hardly looking at the person, more interested in the table that had just been seated, a group of screaming, squalling kids. Gritting his teeth he wrote it down and nodded, plastering a smile onto his face as he grabbed the menu from the person's hand. Roxas wasn't looking at the face, and it wasn't until a hand reached out and grabbed him that Roxas realized who it was.

"Oh, hey… Mr. Leon…" The anger from earlier that day surfaced again, and Roxas pulled his arm away from the man's grip, turning away and brusquely weaving through the tables to place the man's order above everyone else's. The sooner he got his food, the sooner he'd leave. As the ice cream slid down the counter towards him, Roxas grabbed it and stormed back to the man, sitting it politely on the table. Hey, he still wanted a tip in the end. As he turned to leave though, Leon once again grabbed his arm, turning him so that he could see the grave stare the man had decided to give him.

"You had questions about the nobodies." He said in a strangely urgent tone. Frowning, Roxas looked back at him and watched as Leon's eyes darted suspiciously to the door of the parlor before cutting back to him with a glint that Roxas didn't like. A weird feeling settled into his stomach like something was wrong, but what could be wrong? It was a normal day really, apart from Leon's lecture on the supposed nobodies. Glancing around Roxas saw normal families eating ice cream and random kids from school laughing and hanging out. Nothing there was suspicious.

"No, I asked why you were staring at me." Roxas corrected him, facing him fully with a set jaw. Stubbornly he placed his hands on his hips, but Leon didn't seem to care. His hands were clenched into fists as he looked once more at the door and then back at him, jaw set obstinately as well.

"Because of the nobodies." Leon replied edgily, stabbing the spoon into his ice cream and taking a bite bigger than necessary. He repeated the action a few more times, the ice cream quickly disappearing in seconds as he wolfed it down like a starving man. As Roxas stared in slight shock at the animalistic feeding frenzy, he noticed a small keychain on Leon's belt, a strangely intricate sword with what looked like a gun attached to it. Leon, noticing his scrutiny, moved his jacket to where it covered the keychain completely.

"You were staring because of the nobodies. Right." Roxas sarcastically stated, wondering why Leon had covered up his keychain. It was just a fancy little toy for his keys; why did it matter? Glancing back up at his face, He noticed the set of the man's jaw. Something was terribly wrong. He held the spoon as if it were a weapon, and his feet were set like he was ready to sprint.

"I can't explain that now." Leon suddenly stood up, bowl in hand as he eyes darted to the door once again. Narrowing his gaze, he suddenly grabbed Roxas by the arm (much to Roxas's shock) and proceeded to drag him across the parlor, ignoring everyone's shocked exclamations and stares. Too shocked to resist, Roxas dumbly watched as they reached the counter and Leon kicked up the block and stepped through it, his grip tightening as he dropped the ice cream bowl into the sink with the rest of the dishes, ignoring Wakka's exclamation to get out of the worker's area. It was then that Roxas found his voice as he stumbled along after him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Roxas hissed and yanked away from Leon, but the man didn't let go, his face hardening as he merely yanked back, sending Roxas flying into him as they turned the corner of the work area.

"Shut up." Leon growled in his low voice, holding Roxas against the wall as he peered around the corner and stiffened, leaning closer against the wall and pressing against Roxas, as if hiding him.

"No, I won't shut up until you tell me what's going on!" Roxas pried Leon's fingers from his shoulder and he made a move to go back to the dining area, but when Leon turned around he merely grabbed Roxas once more and slammed him against the wall. His eyes were murderous as his green eyes bore into Roxas's blue ones, and there was a tense silence as he stared.

"You will shut up. I don't have to explain anything to you. You simply do as I say and-"

"Good afternoon everyone." A loud, sardonic voice interrupted Leon's husky commands, and before Roxas could say anything, Leon clapped a hand over his mouth and pushed him back against the wall with even more force than before. Roxas let out a silent gasp as his back protested the mistreatment he was being given, but all he accomplished was Leon moving stealthily closer to him, pressed up against the wall as well as if he didn't want to be seen.

"I'm looking for someone that you all should know." The disembodied voice continued to speak, and Roxas felt himself stiffen as he realized that he knew who the voice belonged to. It was the strange man from before, the man who'd said he'd known him.

The man with the voice from his dream.

"Who are you looking for?" Wakka sounded calm and easy-like, but Roxas could tell that he was edgy and suspicious. The entire parlor was silent, save for the whirring of the freezer where the ice cream was. The children had stopped crying and squalling and the music player that usually spit out cheesy top 40's had been shut off. It was like the man had taken a thick veil and cast it over the people, preventing them from uttering a word. Beside him, Leon let out a low breath and pulled Roxas farther back from the corner as if he suspected the man would pop out of nowhere.

"I'm looking for Roxas." Roxas felt his stomach plummet at those words and he felt as if someone had doused him in icy cold water. Wide eyed he stared at the opposite wall, shock pounding through his veins at the man's words. Why would he want him now? He'd already talked to him and had seemed disappointed; what would he need? Roxas didn't know him; why was he following him?! Leon's grip over his mouth tightened as if he expected Roxas to say something, and he rolled his eyes at the man's paranoia. Did Leon not realize that he didn't want to be found either?

"Roxas who?" Rikku chirped in her perky voice, no hint of deception in her tones.

"Roxas Heart is what he goes by. I know he works here at this hour; where can I find him?" His voice was clipped and precise, but Roxas could almost _feel_ the danger underlying his words. The unspoken part that demanded they tell him. Beside him Leon let out a soft, barely audible curse and slowly removed his hand from Roxas's mouth. Roxas looked over at him and could hardly see him in the shadows of the hallway, but from what he could see, the man looked deadly and primed to kill. Lifting a finger to his lips he nodded towards the customer's eating area and drew a long, thin finger over his neck. Nodding understandingly, Roxas pointed to the back of the shop, but Leon shook his head, holding up a finger and pointing to his ear.

"He doesn't have a shift today. I haven't seen him in awhile." One of their regulars, a shop owner nearby, had a high reedy voice, but it was strong with conviction as they spoke. Roxas smiled, relieved that they weren't going to give him up to this madman. Still, his heart pounded a tattoo into his rib cage and he was sure his breathing wasn't calm and even like Leon's was. How could the guy be so calm? It was like he had expected this.

"Now, he served yesterday, that much I know. Has anyone seen him today? I have a matter I need to discuss with him." The deception and malice underneath his words made Roxas flinch, but he didn't move to run away. Leon was also listening intently, face unreadable and eyes narrowed towards the hallway entrance. Roxas's mind numbly computed that Leon's hand was on his keychain, fingers deftly undoing the clasp to his belt loop.

"What's your business with Roxas?" Wakka asked tonelessly, and Roxas could picture him idly washing a cup as he spoke. He could almost see the man stalking past the tables to try to intimidate him the way he'd intimidated Roxas, but Wakka wouldn't back down. Wakka always looked after his own and didn't let people mess around. Even with the guy's hood up in broad daylight, he wasn't going to get much information out of Twilight Town's inhabitants. They always looked after their own.

"I'm afraid that's a private matter." The man replied with faux politeness. Roxas gritted his teeth and tried to hold back the idea that he should rush out there to stop the entire thing, and Leon reminded him subtly that he was still right there, holding him back from doing something stupid. How did he know Roxas was this close to revealing himself in worry for his friends?

"Then I'm afraid I don't know where he is." Wakka stated in the same tone before Roxas heard the clinking of class against a counter top, and Rikku chirp brightly, "I've got it!" The undertone of silverware against plates began again, and Wakka called out another order before people began murmuring amongst themselves. Roxas, thinking that the whole ordeal was over, began walking forward again, but Leon grabbed his arm and yanked him backwards, pulling him unceremoniously down the hallway and toward the back exit.

"What are you doing?" Roxas hissed softly, chancing a glance back at the hallway as if he expected the man to show up randomly and see them. Leon didn't answer though and kept up his mad dash through the boxes and junk, silently jumping over the trashcan and reaching the door within seconds. Roxas slipped around to the other side and stood next to the exit, heart pounding at the thought of getting caught. What would the man do if he saw him now, knowing that the people in front had lied to him? It was obvious that he was dangerous, but just how dangerous was he?

"Unlock the door." Leon whispered impatiently, pointing towards the locked contraption. Roxas frowned as he looked up questioningly at Leon. Were they really going to try and slip through the back, unnoticed? The man might be on the other side of the door, waiting! It was probable that he'd left since Roxas wasn't in the shop, wasn't that obvious?

"Why?" He whispered, waiting for Leon to explain himself. His heart was hammering in his throat and his hands shook slightly with nerves as he asked, but he tried to hold firm. Even if Leon was helping him, he wanted answers.

"It's not safe here right now. I'll explain later." Leon snapped back under his breath, impatient. Sighing, Roxas sifted through his pockets for his key, and he was just pulling it out when Leon stiffened next to him, his hand reaching out to grip Roxas's hand where his keychain jingled softly in the darkness. Confused, Roxas looked up at him with a frown on his face, but Leon wasn't looking at him. He was gazing towards the hallway with the dull lighting, towards the eating area, towards the silhouette of a cloaked man in the contrast of dull lighting. The man was just standing there, peering into the gloom with tenseness in his shoulders that told Roxas that the man knew something was up. Leon's gaze was fastened on the man, but his hand continued to move, pushing Roxas's hand back into his pocket as quietly as he could without drawing the man's attention.

Roxas could hardly hear the shuffling of footsteps in his ears as his heart picked up speed and stuttered in fear. The man was moving, his presence only noted by the whisper of his cloak against the boxes as he sifted about, scoping the area. Soon he'd be near their hiding place, and they'd be spotted. Panic was settling in and Roxas looked up at Leon with impatience. He'd dragged him back here; he'd better have a plan to get them away from the madman! Leon's face was clear of any emotion as he looked around the room as well, trying to see if there was anything that he could use to distract the man.

"What are we-" Roxas's voice was cut off as Leon slipped a hand over his mouth letting out a silent hiss of anger as the man's movements suddenly stopped, his head turned in their direction. Leon's eyes darted around them quickly, his grip tightening as the man began working his way towards them, his cloak whispering on the ground. Leon glared with determination before his gaze landed on the bar that served as a door handle. Before Roxas could blink, Leon lifted his booted foot and kicked it, snapping the rod from the door and pushing it open, flooding the room with light from outside.

The alarm system for the shop cut through the air with a piercing shriek.

Leon bolted through the door, Roxas close behind as they ran through the alley at breakneck speeds, jumping over puddles and rushing past the dumpsters. Maybe it was Roxas's panic and adrenaline, but he was almost certain he heard the crash of a door back behind them and the sound of someone following, but the alarm flooded out any real sound, the wailing noise bringing everyone out of the nearby stores and flooding the street in front of the ice cream parlor with people. Leon led him right through the group of people, dodging around familiar faces like they were enemies, their questions and shouts of confusion fueling Roxas's step. By getting through the crowd, they could get away. His blood roared in his ears as he slipped around the shouting and confused people, hoping no one stopped him.

As the hit the other side of the loud and overbearing crowd Roxas chanced a glance back and saw the cloaked man at the entrance to the alleyway, hood scanning the crowd around them as he searched for his prey. Gritting his teeth Roxas hunkered down and added a burst of energy to his step, catching up with Leon as they rounded the corner.

Roxas followed as best as he could, but it was like Leon was made of steel. The man ran easily, obviously not tired and obviously at ease with the act of panicked getaways. Breathing heavily through his nose, Roxas attempted to keep pace, falling behind slowly the longer they ran. Gritting his teeth Roxas continued running, something pushing him, commanding him to get away from the man who seemed so adamant with talking to him.

They continued running for a few more blocks, steps fast and strong before Leon seemed to deem it safe. His fast paced sprint slowed to a swift walk, steps purposeful and strong, very different from Roxas's weary trudge behind him. Leon looked back to see him falling behind, and he stopped to wait for the weary blonde to catch up.

"You tire easily." He commented in subdued tones, not even out of breath as he spoke. Roxas glared at him wearily, hands on his knees as he finally stopped to regain the oxygen he'd lost.

"Can… you-" He wheezed a breath of air, "_please_ tell… me- what… _that_ was… about?!" Hand gestured around his lowered head as he stared at the ground, the adrenaline fading as his body realized he couldn't run anymore. Leon watched him silently for a moment before he scanned the area, looking for any danger.

"That man is after you." Leon stated after a moment of silence, his hand still clenching the keychain tightly. Roxas peered up at him incredulously, his gasps of breath slowly fading.

"Gathered that." He retorted sarcastically, straightening up slowly and facing Leon with a wince. There was a stitch in his side that ached, but he didn't want to show more weakness in front of the guy who seemed unfazed from sprinting for so long.

"You need to stay away from him." Leon added on as he turned and motioned for Roxas to follow. Dumbly he did so, glaring at Leon's back with vehemence. The guy wasn't answering any of his questions; if anything he was simply making more questions that needed answers. Roxas frowned as his head twinged in pain at the thought of trying to figure out more that what he was already trying to figure out. He wasn't sure if he could keep up with the piling list.

"Can you tell me why I need to stay away from him?" Roxas asked irritably as a buzzing noise filtered through his head, his vision narrowing before opening back up again. What the hell? Roxas rubbed his eyes and continued following Leon, refusing to show weakness. There was something about Leon that brought the anger out of him.

"His name is Marluxia. Don't let him get close to you; don't talk to him." Leon continued speaking as if he hadn't heard Roxas's question, and anger sparked in Roxas's gut.

"Why, because you don't like his name?" Roxas spat sarcastically, rubbing his eyes harder as the buzzing grew louder and his vision disappeared for a moment. He felt disjointed and dizzy, legs shaking a little as he tried to keep walking. Concerned, he scrambled forward to grab Leon's arm to stop him, but doing so merely made him trip and stumble, his feet not responding like they should have. What was going on? His tongue felt heavy in his mouth and his vision was fading, eating away at the edges as the buzzing grew louder.

_What's… what's going on?!_ His panicked thoughts fluttered around his mind like a trapped animal.

"Roxas, what's-"

_Just let it go, Roxas._

_Who… who are you? _His body felt too heavy and he couldn't see anything anymore though he felt sure his eyes were open. Heavy, sluggish hands fell across his face and tried to push away the person hovering over him but he could hardly move.

_I'll explain everything later Roxas, just let me take over for awhile, ok?_

"Roxas, stay with me- don't let her in your head-"

_Head…? Who's in my head? The voice? _His thoughts echoed around his ears painfully like he was trying to hold onto something too hard. He felt like he was falling, a dizzy feeling making him nauseas, but he didn't have enough control to stop his descent into the unknown. Fear clogged his senses as he realized he couldn't do anything, limbs paralyzed.

_Yes, I'm in your mind. _

"Roxas, wake up; come on, don't give in." Roxas would have smiled at that if he could feel anything anymore to know whether or not he was smiling. Give in to what? The pain? How could he fight something inside of him? Where would he begin to fight it anyway? He couldn't get a grasp on anything around him and it hurt to try.

_Who… what… who are you…?_

_My name is Naminé. Please don't fight this, Roxas._

"Roxas, fight it!"

_Just let it go and I'll do the rest._

"Don't give in!"

_Everything's under control…_

"Yo- don… as…"

_Don't listen to him._

"List… m…Rox…"

_You can trust me._

"Don…ust…h…"

_Just let it go, Roxas._

Everything went black.

* * *

_"Who'd you find, Marluxia?" Roxas stared at the two men in front of him, their auras completely different from one another. The one called Marluxia had long-ish pink hair and icy blue eyes that didn't seem to have any feeling in them. He stood in front of the other one with his hands behind his back like he was superior, but the other man didn't seem to care. He was busy scrutinizing Roxas within an inch of his life. _

_"The target's children were in the home… and this one is a nobody." The man called Marluxia shamelessly observed him with dead eyes, his head tilted as if he were thinking about something. __**That's the man that's chasing me**__. "Don't know about the other one… this one let him get away." Roxas flinched at those words but didn't move anymore than that, his face void of emotion but his eyes displaying his fear readily. The other man stepped forward, stroking his strangely cut moustache, the scruff lining his jaw and surrounding his mouth in precise lines. He had the same color of white blonde hair shorn short to his head, but his eyes were a lighter shade of blue, and not as dead looking. They sparkled intelligently._

_"A nobody? Love, that's going to cause problems. His bloody father killed 'em for a livin'." The blonde haired man let out a dry laugh and crouched down, peering into Roxas's face and extending a hand slowly. Roxas flinched away from it and clenched his knees tighter to his stomach. _

_"My name's Luxord. What would your name be, love?" Roxas stared up at him fearfully, his knees drawn up to his chin, hands locked around his legs. His heart was jumping in his chest as he stared at the man in front of him, and though he seemed much friendlier than the other one, he didn't want to shake his hand. __**Where's Sora…?**_

_"He hasn't spoken since I took him." Marluxia dryly remarked, but Luxord didn't seem to be paying attention. His warm, kind eyes observed Roxas slyly before a smile curved over his lips. Reaching into his pocket, Roxas warily watched as the man revealed a deck of cards, the shiny plastic coating making the red back look glossy and smooth. Roxas peeked up at the man's face to see that he was staring at the cards with something akin to reverence as he snapped one card up, turning the front so that Roxas could see the ace of hearts. _

_"Want to see a magic trick?" Luxord asked him with the same sly look from before. Roxas nodded slowly and watched as Luxord suddenly flipped the card into the air and then lifted the rest of the deck, the card falling slowly and slipping evenly between two others of similar likeness. Roxas watched, fascinated as the man deftly shuffled the deck and then cut it, handing it to Roxas._

_"Pull the top one." He prompted, and Roxas pulled the top one up, the small smile on his face fading as a two of clubs stared innocently up at him. Looking up at Luxord confusedly, he was surprised when the man raised an eyebrow. _

_"I do believe that she can run away from the deck when she wants." He informed Roxas, the mischievous still on his face. Roxas frowned at the trick, utterly baffled. _

_"But… you didn't make it appear." He said softly, voice hoarse from yelling. __**What was I yelling for?**_

_"Not where you believed it to be. But, she does like to play with men's hearts, and when you can't find her, look where she plays." Slowly reaching forward, Luxord's nimble fingers plucked something from Roxas's shirt, and then flicked it up to see. Roxas jumped back, nearly dropping the deck of cards as the man displayed the exact same ace of hearts that he'd tossed into the air. He couldn't help it; his jaw dropped as he stared at the smirking man before him, not able to help that he was fascinated. _

_"How did you do that?" He whispered curiously, ignoring the way that Marluxia snorted behind Luxord impatiently. Luxord smiled to himself and stood up, pocketing the deck and sticking a hand out once more to Roxas. After a moment of silent deliberation, Roxas took his hand and scrambled up as well, still surprised that he was able to do that. _

_"I've got a talent in gambling and the like. You've got a talent as well… bravo." Luxord faced the pink haired man with a smirk, and Marluxia rolled his eyes impatiently before turning and motioning to follow. Luxord began walking ahead of him, but Roxas grabbed his hand, hating how his own appendage shook uncontrollably now that he wasn't gripping his legs to his torso. Luxord must have realized this as well because he didn't pull his own hand away and let Roxas grip his glove tightly as they followed Luxord. _

_"I… can't do that." Roxas admitted to him as he watched Marluxia's rigid back, fear settling into the pit of his stomach as he watched. There was something about that man that set his stomach in knots and his heart pounding. Though he felt fear for himself, there was a relief that at least he'd outsmarted the guy in front of him. Sora was now hopefully safe and as far away from this man as possible. At least he'd been able to protect his brother. _

_"No, but you can do something of equal amusement. I'll play my cards right and guess it's why you're here?" Luxord raised an eyebrow and glanced down at Roxas before a smile tugged at his lips. He walked at a casual pace, unconcerned that Marluxia was now well ahead of them. _

_"I… don't know. He went for- for Sora… and then something stopped him." Roxas looked down at the ground as he realized that he was giving away too much information. Now they'd have a name! Gritting his teeth he clenched his free hand into a fist. Luxord didn't say anything for a moment, but he couldn't stay quiet for long. He seemed determined to make Roxas comfortable. _

_"You stopped him, mate. It was your gift that stopped him." Roxas shook his head with fervor, stomach revolting at the words. His mind was racing at that thought, and he yanked his hand from Luxord's, face twisted with grief as he continued shaking his head over and over again. The blonde man observed him with mild amusement, waiting patiently._

_"I don't- don't say that- you- I don't have a disease like that! I don't have a… a blemish like- like that! I… I have a heart!" Roxas snapped angrily, fists clenched as tightly as he could get them, piercing blue eyes fixated on the man in front of him. "I'm not like that- I'm not one of those things-"_

_"That your father hunted like animals."Luxord finished for him, mouth set in a grim line. _

_"Like- like the man-" Roxas couldn't get his words out fast enough, throat constricting as tears threatened._

_"That killed him." Luxord supplied when Roxas faltered. Roxas stared bleakly up at him, mouth trembling but refusing to cry. He couldn't cry, not in front of this man. He couldn't show tears for his father earlier, why should he show them now? He didn't want to think that his father was dead; he didn't want to admit to himself that he was caught because his father couldn't buy his sons time to escape. Sora was off in the forest somewhere because of him, probably lost, but it didn't matter because now he wasn't with the monsters that had killed his father. _

_"I… I can't be." He whispered, glaring at Luxord. _

_"Your father dabbled in a gamble he couldn't win… and I respect him for that." Luxord replied, stepping forward slowly. "But he couldn't bet on one thing, that's for sure." He continued, grabbed Roxas's hand again and tugging gently, nodding to where there was a set of double doors. _

_"What…?" Roxas asked bleakly, reigning in the tears that threatened to fall. _

_"His son being what he loved to hate." _

* * *

_:D Hit or miss? Please let me know what you think in a review!_

Axel- Hey, so wasn't that great?! I mean, I think I did a good job!

Lias- Yes, you did pretty good... I mean, it was a little tense...

Roxas- Why are you being nice?! He killed a townful of people! The guy's a sadist.

Axel- Excuse me? Did you not see me walking away thinking that I was burning it for you!?

Lias- That was a pretty cool part...

Roxas- And I'm stuck being chased by some weird guy named Marluxia!

Lias- ::chuckling:: haha, yeah... good times...

Axel- Ugh, which scene was cooler?! Mine, or Roxas's!? Hit it up in a review and kindly tell _Roxas_ ::dirty look:: that I was the better part of the chapter!

Lias- Uh... right.


	5. Gasp

_Thanks for your reviews, guys! You all get cyber cookies!! And you'll all be mentioned in next chapter for helping me along to get this written!_

_XD I love this chapter... dunno why. Tell me what you think!_

* * *

"_Zexion, show Roxas around while we talk to superior." Roxas looked up from under his bangs at the boy with the slate blue hair and hunch to his shoulders. He was dressed the same way as the others, an entire black ensemble that made him appear somber and slightly menacing. He was lounging on a chair, one hand propping his head up as the other held a book on his lap. As Luxord spoke the boy named Zexion looked up with one visible eye and gave a soft sigh of annoyance. Standing up he kept the book open in one hand, the other hand running through his strangely cut hair, the bangs falling back across one eye. _

_Nodding to show that he understood, the boy gave a morose look to Roxas before turning to walk down another hallway in the house. Roxas followed him bleakly, not wanting to leave the one "friend" he had in the house. This boy, Zexion, seemed like someone who didn't like to talk a whole lot, and he didn't seem happy about being interrupted with his book. As he caught up with the blue haired boy, Roxas silently walked down the carpeted hallway, keeping in step with the boy who was reading his book as he walked, surprisingly not walking into anything. _

_"You'll have the guest bedroom." The boy's voice was low and smooth, a persuasive voice with a hint of sarcasm in it. "You won't wear the standard uniform until you meet superior though, so please don't be impertinent by asking for one." Roxas nodded along to this, his mind scrambling to keep up. The boy talked like he was superior, tone condescending and clipped like he'd been to some sort of boarding school when he was younger. Though he was a few years older than Roxas, he couldn't be more than thirteen, but he acted ages older. _

_"That's why I'll be in the guest room." Roxas replied, more to himself than Zexion, but the other boy heard it anyway. His book snapped shut and he looked over at Roxas with a face twisted between annoyance and slight befuddlement. _

_"Yes… indeed." His voice trailed off and the boy pursed his lips before they began walking up the staircase that the boy had guided him to, Zexion stepping ahead of him so that he could show him which way to go on the landing. Roxas eyed the ornately carved oak that the banister had and the real looking painting on the wall. It was like someone had tried to add a homey touch to the house but it seemed too fake to be relaxing. _

_"The bathroom is right across the hall from you but keep any personal belongings in the room you'll be residing in." Zexion's voice didn't carry very far, but Roxas managed to hear it. _

_"I… I don't have any personal belongings…" Roxas stumbled over the words, fighting past the lump in his throat. The backpack that had been strapped to his back had been lost somehow, and the only things he wore were the clothes on his back. The lump grew but he bit his tongue to keep it down. The boy in front of him stopped and turned to face him, the one visible eyebrow rising as he stared with something akin to indifference. _

_Nodding curtly, the boy seemed reluctant to talk more than necessary and before Roxas could ask him if he could somehow go back to his house to get his things, a loud shouting from the other side of the landing caught their attention. _

_"NO LARXENE, THAT'S CHEATING AND YOU KNOW IT!" There was a crashing noise, and Roxas flinched at the sound. Zexion seemed unfazed though and merely let out an annoyed cough, lips pursed again. _

_"Oh shut it you idiot, I wasn't even! You weren't looking is all." A distinctly female snarl rippled from underneath the door but in a more subdued tone than the person that had yelled. _

_"Hey, easy, easy now, cut her some slack. She couldn't beat us anyway, 'course she had to cheat. It's not like she's got talent or anything. Relax and we'll start over." The third voice was amused and cruel at the same time, the arrogant voice overpowering the other people's shouts as the argument grew louder and another crash echoed in the hallway._

_"We aren't starting anything over just because he's too much of a baby to lose with some balls intact!" The female's seething tone was like nails on a chalkboard and Roxas winced at the razors in it. He didn't want to meet that girl. Ever. _

_"My game, my rules. We're starting over. You don't like it, you leave. Got it memorized?" The second male's voice turned playful but the underlying venom was still present. _

_"Come along." Zexion turned abruptly on his heel and caused Roxas to have to pick up his pace to keep up. He looked up at the older boy to see that his face was clouded with something akin to anger and his grip on the book was tighter than before. _

_"Who was that?" Roxas couldn't help but ask. Obviously they were tied to Zexion in some way, but were they friends? If they were friends then why wasn't Zexion in there with them? The boy gave him a bitter glance, grey eyes narrowed, and it wasn't until he stopped in front of an open doorway that he actually responded. _

_"That would be the other kids abiding in the household. You'll meet them later. Here is your guest bedroom. If you've any questions or concerns please… hesitate to ask me." Opening his book once again, the boy gave him a blank look before abruptly turning and walking away from him, head down as he read. Roxas turned to the room and pushed the door open slowly, jaw dropping- _

_That's enough for today…_

_…__**Huh…? What? What's going on…?**_

_It's time for you to wake up._

_**Wake up…? What the hell do you mean, wake up?**_

_You've been dreaming, Roxas. It's time to wake up._

_**Huh…?**_

_I'll explain later. Just wake up, please?_

And then it was like a light had clicked on in front of his eyes. Roxas shot straight up from his sprawled position on his living room couch, breathing strangely as he glanced blearily around the dark room in front of him. The TV gave off an eerie blue glow and doused the room with shadows and only one beam of light, giving hardly any vision to the squinting youth. He looked down at himself to see a small throw blanket had been tossed carelessly across his lap, and he was still in his work clothes from earlier.

Groggily, he put his head into his hands, feeling strange and a little out of it. It was like someone had drained the energy from him, and he recalled falling, the pushing and pulling between his mind and reality, Leon trying to do something… _something_… but what? What had made him pass out? The voice? But he'd felt so woozy… just like he did now. He heard a door creak, and alarmed, he looked up, eyes wide and fists clenched.

The room was empty though. His parents weren't nearby, and there was no Leon. Where had that man run off to? How had he gotten back to his house? Last thing he remembered… running from that man, that man named Marluxia… and then he, what, passed out? He'd heard the voice then, too. Leon freaking out as he passed out… and then what, he dreamed? What were those dreams anyway? They didn't really _seem_ like dreams…they seemed much more real than that. Once again, the dreams that weren't dreams… what did they mean? And that man that had come in asking for him, again. What was with him? Why was he chasing him? What the hell was going on!?

_Now, that's better. You were out for awhile._

_**Out…? I was asleep? What's going on here?!**_

Roxas felt strange thinking his replies instead of speaking them. The voice sounded amused and relaxed, almost like she was perfectly comfortable with being inside someone's head. Honestly, Roxas felt strange that someone was in his head.

_I promise I'll explain… you need to talk to a few people first, and then I'll talk._

Looking down at his watch, he saw the numbers 9:41 glowing up at him, and he let out a low groan in disbelief. How long had he been out, about 4 hours? Running his hands tiredly through his hair, he leaned over and fell off of the couch, pulling himself up and stumbling to the stairs. Using the hand railing for support he managed to pull himself up and make his way down the hall and towards his parents' room where he heard their soft, relaxed voices. Relaxed?

_They don't know about what happened earlier. _

Roxas nodded sleepily at her words, and stepped into the room with a wide yawn as he took in their appearance. His mother looked up with surprise at seeing him awake, and his father had a stern glare about his face.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" His mother laughed and patted the bed but Roxas remained standing, watching his father's severe stare. What had he done now? The voice had said that they didn't know!

"Anything interesting happen at school today?" His father asked, the curiosity alarming Roxas somewhat. They didn't usually word questions about school like that.

"No… why?" He yawned again and waited for them to explain what his father's glare was for. His mom turned to regard her husband curiously but the man continued staring at his son, waiting for the boy to catch on to what he was supposedly missing.

"Mrs. Anna called… apparently, you missed your detention that was assigned yesterday." Roxas stared in shock at his parents. So that was what he'd forgotten!? He'd been so caught up with the stupid lecture and then the chase across town that he'd completely bonked on the whole detention thing! Oh, Mrs. Anna was going to kill him. "Now, young man, you know our rule on not informing us about things like that. You're grounded for another two weeks." He lifted his chin and waited for Roxas to argue, but the tired, confused boy could only stare dumbly at his parents and wait to be dismissed. Of course he was grounded longer… because one week just wasn't enough.

"Uh… how- how did I get here?" He asked instead, scratching the back of his head awkwardly and shifting from foot to foot. His mother and father stared at him blankly for a second before his mother stood up, crossing the room to put a hand to his head, concern coming off of her in waves.

"Sweetie, you left work early because you weren't feeling well. You must still be sick… go downstairs and get a pain killer, ok?" Smiling sweetly, she patted his head and ushered him from the room, closing the door behind him. Awkwardly, Roxas stood completely still and listened as his mother addressed her husband.

"Honey, do you think he knows…?" Frowning, he strained to hear.

"Of course not… he left before that man showed up. And don't tell him, please. He's busy enough without some crack pot hunting him down about, 'private matters'." His dad's gruff voice was worried though, and Roxas wearily nodded in agreement, leaning his head against the wall and staring down the stairs, debating whether or not to get a pain killer. He wasn't really sick or anything, he just felt… off. Different.

"I just don't want anything bad to happen." Her voice was softer, and he strained to hear.

"Neither of us do, dear. Roxas will be fine; he's just a little tired." The background of the TV came on and it drowned out their voices as Roxas pulled himself all the way up and managed to make his way towards his own room, the lights completely out as he stumbled over towards his bed and collapsing onto it, mind reeling.

"You're weak, letting her get into your head like that." Roxas jerked up, heart thudding as an unwelcome, familiar voice sounded from his bedroom window. Peering into the gloom, he fumbled for a light and then jumped back again as he saw Leon sitting on his window seal, one leg dangling out and the other bent up at the knee, his hand resting lazily on it. He looked up as the lamp flared, and he shook his head at Roxas's jerky, panicked motions towards the door.

"Don't bother, I'm not going to hurt you. Just checking up." He remained where he was, brown hair swooping across his face in dark shadows, the scar still prominent but hidden more so that it had been before.

"What are you doing here?" Roxas found his voice and managed to demand, eyes narrowing in what he'd like to call suspicion when he knew full well that it was fear. Now that he had time to slightly process everything, Leon's actions were just as suspicious as Marluxia's were. What was this guy's motive? Who was he? Where did he come from? Better yet… why was he so interested in Roxas?

"Had to make sure the little witch didn't do anything permanent. Didn't want my hard work to come to pieces." His low, gravelly voice caught on the word, 'permanent' and he turned his head the other way, facing the backyard. The wind blew in around him and cooled the room slightly, lightening the air and making Roxas take a slow, deep breath.

_I'd hardly call myself a witch. _The voice was indignant, but Roxas pushed it away, intent on the way Leon seemed concerned. His glare was strong on his face, but it was one that seemed a good-natured kind. A glare fueled by concern.

"And why are you working so hard on me?" Roxas demanded, settling himself back onto his bed as he kept a careful eye on Leon, mind still fuzzy and struggling to keep up. "What's so special about me?"

"Don't get a big head, kid. Not just you… it's anyone she's messed with." Leon rolled his eyes and folded his arms, eyes still intent on what was going on outside. It was like he didn't care how Roxas felt, he just had one point to make, and one only. Curiosity getting the better of him, Roxas leaned in more.

"Who?" He demanded, staring. Leon's face whipped around and he gave Roxas a piercing glare.

"That _witch_," He hissed, eyes practically murderous. "Like I said, you're weak to let her break you down like that. You can't let her get into your head."

_Easy for him to say, he knows what he's talking about_. The voice itched across Roxas's mind, and he laughed at the way it seemed so sarcastic but nice at the same time.

_**And what is he talking about?**_ He asked as he silently watched Leon watch him.

_Me, of course. But he doesn't know the whole story. Don't let him get into your head, Roxas. He's more dangerous than I can be._ And there it was; the underlying threat behind her words that made a shiver run down Roxas's spine. "He's more dangerous than I can be". So she could be dangerous, too? Roxas let out a groan; who was he supposed to listen to?!

"The more you talk to her, the harder it is to get her away. Her, and Marluxia. Stay away from the both of them, Roxas. I can only do so much without you ruining it by letting curiosity get the better of you." Leon cleared his throat and visibly made himself calm down, eyes closing briefly before they flicked open and turned towards the backyard like he was waiting for something like a sign.

"Don't you realize that I have no idea what's going on with me!?" Roxas demanded, scooting closer so that he didn't have to raise his voice and risk his parents hearing. "I've got a fricking voice in my head and I'm seeing things that don't make sense, and I've got some random man stalking me, and you're telling me not to let curiosity get the better of me!?" He let out a low, not so humorous laugh and rolled his eyes, hating the way Leon fixed him with an expectant glance before dismissing him and glancing around his room.

"I know it's hard." He finally stated, obviously choosing his words carefully. "But you've got to trust me on this one; the witch and her master are bad news."

"What, so she's a spellcaster and magic is real?" Roxas spat scathingly, rolling his eyes.

"You heard the story about the nobodies." Leon replied evenly, not upset that Roxas quite clearly didn't believe him. It was like he expected denial, and he was prepared for it. Almost happy to burst his bubble, even.

"And so they're real? That whole magic thing was real with the aether and the extra set of veins and you're saying this chick in my head is a part of that?" Leon gave him a skeptical look before he glanced back to the yard and then froze. Staring at the yard for a moment, Leon let out a low, barely audible curse and then maneuvered so that he was lowering himself out of the window and onto the roof.

"Stay here, kid. Don't do anything stupid." Leon said sternly, his voice low and hardly heard in the room. Alarmed, Roxas started to scramble towards Leon, but the guy waved him away, much to Roxas's annoyance.

"You didn't answer my questions!" Roxas snapped, lurching forward again, ready go force the answers out of his supposed stranger.

"And I can't- right now. Don't let her get into your head." Leon gave a small smirk before he dropped down, Roxas straining to catch the sound of him scurrying across the roof, but the only sound that greeted him was crickets chirping. Rushing towards his window, he leaned out of it, eyes burning in the darkness as he attempted to see what Leon had apparently spotted.

There was nothing in the yard.

Disgusted, Roxas leaned back and fell onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling with his eyes wide open, blood pumping faster now that he was fully awake. So what, the nobodies were real? The whole idea about nobody hunters and people actually having powers? What did that make his dreams then? A reality? _His_ reality? Mind spinning, Roxas attempted to contact the voice in his head.

_**Uh… voice…? You going to help me out, here? **_He squinted in the dim light, wondering if he had to do something specific to get her attention.

_Doesn't seem like you need much help. _The voice sounded a little smug and amused, like she'd heard the whole thing between them.

_**I don't know what's going on. **_Roxas frowned and rolled over, turning his music on, hating the silence. His mind was still a little groggy, like it took energy to talk to her, but he would take what he could get. Roxas wasn't really feeling like being picky, dammit.

_And… neither do I. I just have one assignment, and it's nothing to do with whatever that man's talking about, I promise you. _

_**What's that assignment**__?_Curiosity burned as he felt like he was actually getting somewhere. Maybe he was close? Maybe he might actually get what he needed to know to solve the puzzle once and for all?

_I… can't tell you. _And, he actually believed her. It was like the truth was pouring out of her, pure and clean. He couldn't sense any reason to distrust her, even with Leon's words in his ears. What had she ever done to him?_ I wish I could, but I'm not allowed to tell. It's a secret. _

_**So what am I supposed to do? Just sit here and let this happen to me? **_Disgruntled, he glared as if he could see her.

_You're taking it very well. _

_**Am I crazy?**_

_… Out of anything you could ask, you're worried about your sanity? Funny. _

_**Sorry, I just… this isn't normal. **_That was an understatement.

_I know, I keep forgetting that this is all new to you… no, you're not crazy, Roxas._

_**Well, that's… good. Can you tell me about these dreams?**_

_I wish I could… but I'm under strict orders. _

_**I… understand. Can I at least get a name?**_

_Of course, Roxas. My name is Naminé__**. **_Roxas sighed and burrowed under his blankets, half thinkingly pulling off his work shirt and stripping out of his clothes, groping along the edge of his bed for his pajama bottoms and old t-shirt. Changing under his covers, he cleared his throat and made himself comfortable, ready to sleep but too wide awake to do so.

So, basically… he had nothing. He didn't have a lead like he'd hoped to find, and if anything the two had just made things a little more difficult. He was supposed to distrust one person helping him, and completely trust a man he'd just met. He was supposed to avoid this so called Marluxia and manage a completely normal day to day life, ignoring the fact that there was a voice in his head saying he wasn't crazy.

Yup… all in a day's work.

Roxas could feel a headache coming on, and with a low sigh he turned his head towards the pain so that the pressure would numb it, and he settled down again for what he knew would be a rough night.

* * *

_"So I control the darkness…"_

_"No, you control shadows and snatches of darkness… literal black shadows, not the evilness that usually comes with it."_

_"That's what I meant!" _

_"Oh… yeah, then yeah… you're right."_

_"I know I'm right." _

_"Snotty, aren't you? Where'd Marley find you, anyway?"_

_"He… killed my father." _

_"Oh…"_

_"And then tried to kill my brother and me."_

_"I was an orphan when they found me."_

_"How'd they find you?"_

_"I burned the house down… apparently our wooden home was flammable to my touch." _

_"Well, you do control fire."_

_"And what brought you that assumption?" _

* * *

It was raining when Roxas was ready for school. The droplets fell in drizzles that swept back and forth with the ever changing, indecisive wind. Grabbing his simple black rain jacket he walked up to his mother who was watching the rain fall through the kitchen window.

"It hasn't rained in awhile." Roxas commented as he ate a piece of buttered toast. His mother nodded slowly, her face tilted thoughtfully as she turned to face him with funny eyes.

"It rained when you showed up." She said simply, eyeing him strangely before turning to walk out of the room. Roxas slowly felt his jaw drop as her words registered, and he blindly followed her into down the hall and into the living room where she busied herself with getting things together for her sewing circle.

"What do you mean, when I showed up?" Roxas asked carefully, an icy feeling settling into his stomach. His mother paused from her actions and glanced at him, but shook her head, a soft laugh escaping from her lips as she pushed a strand of flyaway hair from her forehead.

"I just- oh Roxas, it was the strangest thing. I… I can't remember actually being in labor with you. Or being pregnant with you. I remember taking you home afterwards, but I don't remember anything before that." Sadly, she turned and fixed him with a stare that made his neck prickle uncomfortably. He felt like he'd just been socked in the stomach. What did she mean, she didn't remember being pregnant with him? What was she saying? Uneasily, he watched as she easily avoided his gaze.

"What, so what does that mean?" He asked hollowly, his hands starting to become a little clammy. Glancing out of the window he saw the rain falling down a little harder, the sheets of water rushing down in heavy torrents. Thunder boomed in the distance, and he gave a slow, hesitant gulp of breath when she didn't answer. Her back was to him, and she was holding herself, hunched over her bag of sewing materials strangely.

"Go to school, Roxas." She said quietly without turning around and hugging him like she usually would. Feeling like something was terribly off, Roxas gave a soft sigh and turned to the door, slinging his bag over his shoulder and strapping his skateboard to the side of it, pulling his hood up as he opened the door. Stepping out into the rain he turned his head against the downfall and began walking towards the bus stop, knowing that no one would be at the usual spot because of the rain. He stepped over the soggy newspaper that would be thrown out instead of read, and noticed that no man was at the mailbox with his solitary letter.

Yes, today was an off day.

Roxas turned his head slightly and almost recoiled in horror as he saw a masked figure standing across the street, leaning against an alleyway entrance. Pursing his lips, he picked up his pace slightly and ignored the man who'd begun walking the same way with him, something strapped across his back. What the hell? Roxas picked up his pace again and did a fast-stepped walk to the bus stop, reaching it quickly and slipping into the crowd of dismal business people that were always stationed at the stop in the mornings.

"No rain in years-"

"Even the newscaster said-"

"What do you suppose…"

"Drought can't be liftin-"

The soft whispers coalesced around him as he studied the ground instead of the people, his neck prickling again. He knew he was being watched, and he knew it was the masked man. Was it the strange stalker, Marluxia? What was that thing on his back? Was it a weapon? Roxas glanced up from under his lashes to see the man directly across the way from him, arms folded and hip cocked like he was simply waiting for the bus. Was it Roxas's imagination, or was he looking at him? It was hard to tell with the man's hood pulled up, and Roxas itched to unveil him. Would it be the strange, pink haired man from his dream? Would it be the pale haired one with the cards? Would it be the slate grey haired one with the snide remarks and the book? Groaning softly, Roxas was almost grateful to see the bus pull up to a wheezing stop, his steps merging with others as they all climbed onto the bus.

"Hey, Cid." He mumbled as he passed the driver's seat, but then stopped as he whirled back, eyes wide.

"Who-who're you?" He stumbled past his words, eyes wide as he took in the simple, brown haired man that wore a standard bus uniform and a tired stare. He looked up with normal brown eyes and raised an eyebrow, nodding for him to keep moving.

"Cid couldn't make it today." He said with a normal, disinterested tone, and with a jerk of the thumb he added, "Keep moving, kid." Roxas numbly did so, eyes wide and fists clenched as he took a seat right behind the driver, staring as he did so. What was going on? Where was Cid? What had happened that the man who always made it… didn't? And then, his mother. What did she mean, she didn't remember being pregnant with him? What was going on today? Roxas let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and as the bus pulled away he was glad to see that there were no hooded men on the bus, face turned towards him strangely.

Still, the prickles on his neck told him that he was still being watched. Somehow.

* * *

The day was slow. Some teachers simply wrote notes on the board for them to copy while others just stood up there and talked with monotonous voices and drab stares. Their AP environmental science teacher was excited to discuss the rain, but when she looked out and really studied it, her face fell slightly, and her eyes didn't seem to be so into it anymore. Even Seifer didn't seem to be in the mood to mess with people; his face was strangely grave. Roxas didn't understand it, and he asked his friends about it during lunch.

"Seifer's superstitious." Olette explained tiredly, rubbing her eyes as if that would wake her up. Hayner gaped at her with a slack jaw and Pence nodded thoughtfully, but Roxas simply continued staring, uncomprehending.

"He… we haven't really had rain in so long that he thinks it's a bad omen." She reiterated softly, eating her food and ignoring Hayner's look of confusion and anger.

"What kind of om-"

"How do you know about Seifer's beliefs?" Hayner demanded, standing up slightly and glaring. Pence looked up in surprise and backed away from his friend, and Roxas put a hand on Olette's shoulders, giving Hayner a warning glance.

"I live next door to him." Olette said calmly as she pushed Roxas's hand away gently.

"Oh, so what, you talk with him? Hang out whenever we're not around?" Hayner rolled his eyes and glared angrily at her, ignoring Pence's comments that they were drawing stares.

"Before our group hung out, I was friends with him." She replied evenly, shrugging. If anything, that made Hayner more upset, and he leaned over the table, putting himself face to face with her. Roxas stood up slowly, ready to move between them if Hayner decided to do something. He was still shocked that his friend was acting like that; he usually had more respect for women.

"Oh, so what, you two were buddies? Shared all your dirty secrets?" He hissed, narrowing his eyes. Olette didn't answer and simply stared back with a blank face, choosing not to react. Furious at her indifference, Hayner cocked a fist back, but as he moved to hit her, Roxas grabbed the fist and twisted it, sending Hayner sprawling onto the table and making a loud _thud_ that reverberated around the room. Roxas tugged Olette up from her seat and made a motion for her to leave, and as Hayner scrambled to right himself, Roxas merely pushed him back down.

"Bad move." He said as he grabbed his bag and followed Olette away from their table, heading towards their next class. Roxas was silent, watching as Olette quietly linked her hand with his interlaced their fingers. Giving her hand a comforting squeeze, he waited for her to speak, his own mind rushing a mile a minute and not slowing down.

"He's not usually like that." She commented softly to him, turning to give him a worried glance. "I mean, I knew he'd be upset, but he's never made a move to hit me before." Roxas nodded thoughtfully, letting out a low sigh. He knew he'd have problems with Hayner later when they saw each other, but for the moment, he didn't care. Too many strange things were happening at once, and he couldn't help but feel like they were connected somehow.

"Everyone's acting off today." Roxas finally said softly, running his free hand through his hair, fingers working through the mess and breaking the tangles free. Olette nodded in agreement, and she put a finger to her lips in thought.

"It's true though. I was friends with Seifer. A long, long time ago." She turned away for a moment and then stopped walking, facing him squarely. "I remember being friends with him, Roxas. I… didn't know that until today, when I woke up. I just knew. And…" Her voice broke off as she shook her head in confusion, twisting it every which way and stopping to fix him with a piercing green stare. "I never remember actually meeting you. I just remember us one day being the best of friends and Seifer hating me." Roxas stared, mouth going dry. What did she… she couldn't be serious, could she?

"What do you mean?" He asked nervously.

"It's like you just appeared in my memories one day, and now you're gone."

* * *

By the time detention rolled around, Roxas felt like he was going to go insane. Hayner was giving him death glares and Pence was solemnly pushing him away, hardly glancing at Olette as he did so. It was like there was a rift in their friendship, and Roxas believed it to be too deep to fix.

If there ever was a friendship, that is.

He sighed and rubbed his palms into his eyes, hardly glancing at Mrs. Anna as she sorted papers at her desk, every now and then giving him a disappointed glare. What did he care if she was disappointed that he'd forgotten a stupid detention? It wasn't like he'd purposely left her at the school, waiting on him. It's not like she knew what was going on. Wait… maybe…

"Mrs. Anna?" He stood up slightly and called out to her, sitting back down as she looked up with suspicion and a glare set. Raising an eyebrow she nodded for him to ask what he needed to ask, and he took a slow breath, crossing his fingers that she'd be able to answer.

"What can you tell me about… nobodies?" He asked hesitantly, watching her face to see her reaction. Sure enough, he wasn't disappointed when her eyes widened and then narrowed, her papers forgotten as she gave him a weird look before standing up slowly. She looked at Roxas before she glanced at the door and then back at him. Was it just Roxas's imagination that her hands were shaking like they seemed to be? Maybe he was just picturing the way her eyes darted nervously to the doorway, him forgotten as she walked the distance and then closed the door slowly, her hands lingering on the wood before they dropped uselessly to her side. He couldn't imagine that she was nervous, not in the way that her breath was light and her cheeks flushed. She closed her eyes as if debating something, her nose pinched between her thumb and pointer finger, and then he knew he was in reality when she choked out in a thick, emotional voice,

"What do you want to know?"

Roxas stared at her watery eyes and her pursed lips, slightly shocked that he'd gotten such a dramatic reaction. He'd expected the knowing, sparkling gaze that Leon had sported, or the grave, sad stare Mr. McDuck had given, but not the weepy, emotional stare Mrs. Anna was fixing him with.

"I… what can you tell me about them?" He asked softly. Mrs. Anna pursed her lips again and gave an almost, longing glance to the door before she sighed and looked down at the floor. Motioning with a limp hand, she turned towards the lab bench she worked at, and Roxas followed her over, standing on the other side. She sighed again before looking back up to him with caution in her eyes.

"They were a study done hundreds of years ago, Roxas. A group of people from the northern tribal lands were seen as having extraordinary powers and gifts that enabled them to do the impossible. Scientists took a hold of a small group of them and conducted tests on them… ethically wrong tests to see what made them able to do what they did." She sighed and gave him a disapproving stare. "It's one of sciences worst reputations. They killed these people and then dissected them slowly, examining their bodies in comparison to a preserved normal, human corpse. It was to their shock and wonder when they discovered the unknown substance that scientists refer to today as aether.

"Aether, Roxas, is a nobodies version of a heart. It operates in a way similar to the heart, but it's composed of different matter entirely, a membrane that was given the name aestetos (as-the-tose) because there simply wasn't another name for it. The aether itself is what gave the people their gifts and the aestetos ran veins and arteries throughout the body as well, right alongside the regular blood vessels and veins." She took a deep breath and stared at Roxas with impenetrable eyes, her gave grave.

"So this aether thing gave them their gift… how did it give them so many different gifts?" Roxas asked curiously.

"That's the dilemma. No one knew how if gave off the gift other than some sort of plasma that ran through the aestetos that evaporated once they cut the said veins and the air hit the substance. They couldn't study it." She fiddled with the wedding band on her finger and smiled slightly, her face sad.

"So… what happened to them?" Roxas pressed.

"Once the scientists realized what they'd discovered, an ethics battle ensued… what should they handle the subject X as? Even mere animals had hearts, so how should these people be treated? Of course, the Catholic church was a heavy influence, and the crusades were the first on everyone's mind. Also, the witch trials across Europe caused many to believe these people were of the devil, and had no soul because they possessed no hearts. The cruel name, nobody, became popular, and any person who was a known nobody was a shunned nobody. Bands of people rose up and began to hunt them even though scientists and philosophers said that they were human.

"The nobody hunters were given a cruel name as well to go along with their cruel dispositions. They were called heartless, an ironic name since that's what they hunted." Mrs. Anna twisted her ring band nervously again and fixed a slightly worried stare on Roxas's face, searching for something.

"What happened to the nobodies?" Roxas pressed when she didn't continue. Letting out a slightly hysterical laugh, she shook her head.

"They went into hiding, they stopped using their powers, they started over in new lands. The heartless hunted them persistently until the scholars were able to get the government to disband them and abolish the law stating that it was legal to hunt nobodies. In fact, it is against the law to have any organization that meant any harm to the now basically extinct species." Her wedding band stopped twirling for a moment and she let out a small smile. "I'm sure there are some people out there that still hunt them, and I'm positive that there are still nobodies out there." Her smile fell off of her face for a moment, and horror took over as she jumped away from the table like she'd been electrocuted.

"What?" Roxas backed away, alarmed at the change in his teacher's attitude.

"Why are you asking me these things?" She asked in edgy, nervous tones. Roxas raised his hands slowly in a don't-hurt-me kind of way.

"Heard random things about them… just curious." He explained as he took an exaggerated step back from her and her now quick, darting eyes.

"Liar," She hissed, eyes narrowing. "No one just hears about things like that. Things like that are repressed from the public and kept in top secret security files. The only way you could have known what a nobody was, was if-" Her voice broke off, and her ring was once again being twisted around her finger with a trembling hand.

"Was if?" Roxas prompted, his heart thudding in excitement. Now he was getting somewhere!

"Was if you were involved in something like that." She finished slowly, eyes narrowing once again as she turned back to the door and then glanced at him with stony features. "Get out of my classroom, Roxas." Nervously, Roxas walked quickly to his desk and grabbed his bag from the floor, turning his body so that his back wasn't to her. There was something about her countenance that set him on edge. Maybe it was the way her fists were clenched at her face was set in a stony glare, but he felt like he was about to be attacked. Quickly, he made his way to the door, and flung it open, ready to head home for the day. Because of detention, he had to miss work for the day.

"Oh, and Roxas?" Mrs. Anna called in a hysterical voice. Roxas turned, wary. "If you speak of this conversation to anyone, you'll be taken to a top secret facility in Radiant Gardens where you'll be detained until they can vouch of your source. Once they realize who you received the information from, you'll be disposed of so that history can't repeat itself by passing on the knowledge." Roxas didn't answer, his eyes wide as his teacher began to laugh shrilly, her cackles sending his blood rushing and his heart thudding as he turned and bolted from the room, her shrill calls echoing down the hallway after him. He raced down the stairs and around the corner towards the exit, not exactly sure why he was running, but knowing that it was better than staying with his psychopathic teacher a moment longer.

Hitting the double doors, he pushed his way through them and stumbled to a stop, craning his head around so see that no one was following him, and he was completely alone in the courtyard of the school. He let out a slow breath, his legs shaky as Mrs. Anna's face popped back into his mind. She was definitely hiding something… it was obvious in the way she kept twisting her wedding band and her emotions were changing so quickly… it was hard to keep up.

Roxas was walking along the small sidewalk on the side of the school, ready to cut through the town and take the short walk home so that he could just calm down and focus on everything that was going on. His mind was reeling, and too many questions were surfacing to where he couldn't focus on one specific thing. he was turning towards the parking lot, away from the school, his eyes on the over cast sky that was threatening to rain later.

Something grabbed him from behind and yanked him back, slamming his back against the wall.

Roxas struggled, pushing and shoving and trying to find his voice around the gloved hand that shoved itself against his lips, and his eyes rolled around to find his sudden captor. His back burned as it was scraped against the bricks of the school, and his legs flailed uselessly. Someone was breathing harshly against his ear, their breath hot and their soft laughter issuing underneath the erratic inhaling and exhaling.

"You've got to stop struggling or I'll not let you go." Their voice was smooth and relaxed like they were used to randomly grabbing people. As if to prove their point, they pressed their hand against his mouth with more pressure, if anything causing Roxas to struggle more, his heavy and panicked breathing rushing through his nose painfully.

"Come on, stop acting like I'm about to kill you." The man's voice turned playful, his tone causing Roxas to stop kicking about and listen intently, the tone catching somewhere in his mind for some reason. What was so familiar about it? The tension across his lips lessened slightly, and the guy laughed softly against his ear.

"Man, you had me scared for a second. Don't need you passing out… don't scream, ok?" Slowly, very slowly, he removed his gloved hand, the pressure against his shoulders and torso not stopping. Blindly he watched the sky above him, his breath falling from his mouth as he gasped for air and started to turn his head.

"Oh, no, don't do that." The hand reached out and kept Roxas's neck positioned at a tilt, forcing him to watch the slowly darkening sky as thunder boomed lazily.

"What the hell do you want?" Roxas hissed, his jaw clenched and his heart beating wildly in his chest. He couldn't help the low dose of fear from settling in his gut, but he ignored it and focused on the way that the guy seemed adamant that he not see him.

"I… just had to see you." The guy admitted, his grip lessening slightly. His tone was surprisingly gentle as he spoke, and for a moment Roxas imagined the vulnerable sound to his words. He didn't react as the man released his neck, and he pretended not to notice the way that his shoulders could move on their own if he shook them.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked angrily, keeping his eyes on the sky and his neck tilted up, ignoring the uncomfortable position.

"Man, are you saying you don't remember me?" The guy laughed in an almost delighted way, his breath fanning Roxas's face with the scent of spearmint gum. "That… ah, whatever, it's all good." His grip lessened on his arms, and Roxas inwardly smiled as he felt freedom on the horizon. Whoever this guy was, he was about to get it big time.

"Glad to know." He managed between his locked jaw.

"You look good after all this time, Roxas." Roxas could almost picture him looking him up and down, and his flesh crawled at the idea of this random stranger checking him out. The grip slackened again and Roxas, seeing his chance, pushed away with all of his strength, kicking out and throwing himself into his attack.

They were launched across the tarmac, landing heavily as they tumbled over each other, feet and arms flying as they rolled and then came to a grinding halt, Roxas pulling himself to his feet as quickly as he could, eyes narrowed and fists raised to attack whatever had come his way. It couldn't be that Marluxia guy, and it wasn't Leon. The voice was entirely new, and with a scowl Roxas bounced from foot to foot, ready for it. Someone wanted to mess with him? Let them; he was ready.

And yet, as the guy who'd attacked him pulled himself from off of the ground, Roxas had slight second thoughts. He was skinny with next to no muscle. He seemed a little taller than what was standard for people these days, and he wore the black on black cloak that Marluxia favored. The hood had fallen from his head though, revealing a narrow, tanned face and dirty blonde hair. The guy rubbed his head with a black gloved hand and opened lazy, ocean blue eyes to stare at Roxas with confusion. His slightly full lips opened in a slight, O, shape and his eyes widened as he saw Roxas's fighter stance.

"Oh, man, I didn't see that coming!" The guy crowed, his mouth forming into a genuine smile as he dusted himself off and rubbed his head tenderly. He laughed brightly and stepped towards Roxas, but Roxas jumped back and lifted his fists, glaring menacingly.

"Who the hell are you?" He demanded, on edge and ready to fight. His adrenaline was pumping and his heart was thudding alongside it in time. The boy paused for a second, head tilted before a grin broke out and he rolled his eyes, laughing.

"Man, I'm surprised you don't recognize me! I'm Demyx!" He opened his arms wide, turning slightly so that Roxas got a full bodied view of the guy named Demyx. Frowning, he shook his head.

"Don't know you." He snapped, stepping back as Demyx stepped forward.

"Oh, come on! It's Demyx! Don't tell me you don't remember your best friend?!"

* * *

_Hit or Miss? Let me know in a review! Keep in mind guys, it's the reviews that keep most of the authors here going. It's the best reward we can get!_

Axel: Uh, I thought I was Roxas's best friend?

Roxas: No way in hell I'm your best friend. Right, Lias?

Lias: ...

Axel: Uh, Lias...?

Lias: ...

Roxas: Dude, is she passed out or something?

Lias: ...

Axel: (hitting said author) LIAS!

Lias: (falls out of computer chair)

Roxas: Dude... I think she's dead.

Axel: Well now how is this story going to be posted?!


	6. Point

* * *

_:D I'm back! No, I didn not die... I was just working on another KH fanfic I've started called Tantalize. Sorry for the wait! _

_Anywho let's get this show on the road since I've neglected it for so long, yeah?_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Roxas stumbled away from him, eyes wide in surprise. Out of everything that he'd been expecting… that wasn't it. Demyx watched him with excitement clear on his face, and seeing the hostility fall from Roxas's, he began walking towards him, beaming brightly.

"What are you talking about?!" Roxas jumped away from him, ready to run. What was he saying, 'best friend?!'!? Roxas had never met this guy before, let alone talk to him! Demyx's grin widened and he rolled his eyes, walking closer, not noticing Roxas's fight or flight mode.

"I'm talking about me and you being best friends, duh. What, do you-" His voice broke off, and he tilted his head again, frowning. "Do you mean that you really don't know who I am?" Demyx's frown grew, and he shook his head, turning away slightly, muttering. Roxas suddenly wished he had a stun gun… or any kind of gun, really. This guy had to be insane, seriously.

"… Could have sworn that… the signs were… Marley seemed like…" The boy ran his hands through his mullet-thing and turned back, pasting a cheesy grin on his face.

"You have to remember me!" He declared, pointing at him and leaning in with a bright smile. Roxas raised an eyebrow, something in his gut saying that though he was insane, he suddenly didn't seem that dangerous anymore. Probably just a kid that didn't take his aderol.

"And, why is that…? I seriously don't know you." Roxas shook his head and jumped slightly as the thunder boomed right above them. Demyx laughed brightly like he'd just seen the most amusing thing in the world and was wondering why no one else was laughing.

"You were always so scared of lightning and thunder! That never changed, did it?" He eagerly clapped his hands.

"How do you know that? I'm telling you, I don't know who you are!" Roxas shook his head in annoyance and just a little bit of amusement, being slightly reminded of a lost little puppy when he looked at the mullet headed kid. How old was he, seventeen, eighteen? He was acting like a ten-year-old!

"I'm telling you, we were best friends. I thought I'd moved on from that!" Demyx waved his hand impatiently and rolled his eyes. He kept watching Roxas expectantly as if he was waiting for a cue to begin something, but Roxas made no move towards him or away from him, his eyes locked on the weirdo in front of him.

"You must not have missed me enough then…" Demyx mused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Zexion said-"

"Zexion?" Roxas interrupted, suddenly interested. Did he mean the Zexion from his latest dream? Roxas excitedly leaned in, feeling like he was about to really get a break through with what was going on. "As in blue haired, book reading Zexion?" He asked. Demyx's face transformed instantly and he grinned eagerly leaning in as well and nodding enthusiastically.

"You remember him!? Oh, that's awesome!" Demyx clapped his hands again and tapped Roxas's nose, shaking his head. "How did you remember him, huh? You can tell me, I won't get mad." Roxas hadn't realized that he'd moved in, and jerking back, he shook his head at Demyx's misunderstanding.

"I didn't 'remember' anyone… I saw him in a dream." Roxas corrected him, and Demyx just grinned, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Dreams, memories, how else do you think we'd get your memories put back together again? It can't all just hit you at once, you know!" Demyx shook his head, really getting into the conversation whereas Roxas's mind was working a mile a minute, his face twisted into thought as he tried to process what he'd just been told. Dreams… memories… something too real to be a figment of his imagination…

"So my dreams… are memories?" He asked slowly, jumping back as Demyx jumped forward and nodded even more, his face so excited Roxas was slightly scared for his sanity, even if he didn't seem like a threat. "If they're memories then, whose memories am I seeing?" He asked, disbelief etched onto his face.

"Yours, of course! I didn't know that Zexion was helping you; I didn't know he knew where you were! None of us did, 'cept Marley of course, and he wasn't going to tell us anytime soon. He says the more people that knew the more chance of Xemnas finding out where you were and we can't have that!" Roxas stumbled back, head reeling, and he put a hand up to stop Demyx's chattering in his ear. Demyx obediently stopped talking, his grin still present.

"I… don't know what you're talking about." Roxas confessed, taking a deep breath.

"You're just going to have to trust me." Demyx said knowingly, shrugging. Roxas let out a slow, sarcastic laugh and rolled his eyes, folding his arms.

"Yeah, sure, trust a complete stranger… not." Roxas knew his tone was uncalled for, but if he had to be mean to get information, he'd do it! Sure enough, Demyx's face fell slightly, and his smile faded just a little.

"I bet you'd trust Axel if he asked you to." He mumbled dejectedly, looking up with a kicked puppy stare. Roxas raised an eyebrow.

"Axel…? Who's Axel?" He asked, much to Demyx's horror.

"Oh, come on! You must remember Axel!" Demyx exclaimed, eyes comically wide as he put a hand up in disbelief. "There's no way you remember Zexion and not remember Axel! That's just- oh, come on!" He shook his head, opening and closing his mouth like a fish.

"Nope… doesn't ring a bell." Roxas said, watching as the guy's face fell once again, and Roxas had to remind himself that this guy was most likely unstable and had psychological problems. Maybe that's why he was blathering on like Roxas knew exactly what he was talking about? Sure, he seemed innocent, but he obviously needed help.

"Aw, man! He's not going to want to hear that…" His voice trailed off, and he shook his head sadly. "I would have thought that out of everything you remembered, he'd be the first! I mean, Zexion makes sense… and of course, Marley is impossible to forget, really, and I can understand you not seeing me yet, but not remembering Axel… ah, he'll be crushed!" Demyx looked up again and shook his head, scuffing his toe and sadly scratching the back of his ear.

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about. I don't know you, I don't know a Marley, and I certainly don't know any Axel. I dreamed about Zexion and Marluxia and Luxord." Roxas took a step back as Demyx's head snapped up with interest, his eyes sparkling as he took in what he'd just heard.

"What did you dream about?" He asked with his head tilted inquisitively.

_Roxas, don't tell him anything else._ Naminé's voice sounded sweet and worried in his head as she decided to jump into the fray. _You can't trust him_. She added as Roxas caught himself before he'd spoken. Eyeing Demyx slowly, Roxas stepped back, ready to run if he caused trouble. Overhead, the thunder boomed again and Roxas flinched, waiting for the rain to fall yet knowing he had awhile before it struck.

"I… have to go." He said slowly, stepping back as Demyx gave Roxas a suspicious stare and pouted.

"Why? What's wrong?" He was walking towards Roxas but he was moving back, Naminé's voice in his head, urging his to lie, fight, yell, _anything_ to get away, just as long as he did.

"I just- you really need to- just leave me alone." Roxas stumbled back as Demyx reached out and grabbed his wrist, eyes concerned as he studied him carefully. Studied him the way an insane person never could. Worry, suspicion… and care.

_Roxas, this is getting dangerous. _

"Get off of me!" Roxas pushed Demyx away and turned, running as fast as he could, ignoring Demyx's shouts of surprise and worry. His muscles protested from the day before, his legs not used to all of the running, but he pushed it away making himself believe that he was being followed so that he'd keep going.

_**What does he want from me?**_ He asked Naminé as he ran, jumping as he saw lightening flash across the sky, thunder growling seconds after it, giving chase.

_It's complicated, Roxas._ Naminé's voice sounded tired as she spoke, and he felt bad, not entirely sure why he did, but doing so anyway. His feet pounded against the sidewalk as he chanced a glance back to see if he was being followed. His running slowed slightly as he realized that he wasn't being followed, and relief spread through him. He didn't know what he'd do if that Demyx character tried to catch him or something. He seemed crazy enough to do something drastic. Or desperate enough. What did he want?

_**Was he telling the truth? **_Roxas asked as he caught his breath and began walking with a fast pace, eying the clouds with disgust.

_About what_? She was being evasive. Roxas frowned and tried again.

_**Are those really my memories?**_He demanded, his gut clenching. Pictures of his father and mother rushed through his head, their faces alongside the faces of people in his dream, and he waited for Naminé to answer, his breath held without his knowledge. Crossing through a back alley, he meandered around the large dumpsters and ran a hand alongside the side of a wall.

_… Yes, Roxas. Those are your memories. _The breath whooshed from Roxas's lungs as he stopped walking, his stomach knotting up and clenching painfully as he stared unseeingly at the street in front of him. He felt himself leaning too far to the side, and he numbly slumped against the alley wall, gripping the brick tightly. Closing his eyes he focused on calming his nerves, resisting the urge to throw up. He couldn't get sick, not now.

_**So my real father… **_He thought sickly, clenching his eyes.

_Is dead. I'm sorry, Roxas. _

_**And my brother… my **_twin_**brother… **_

_Gone. _

Roxas gritted his teeth, the pictures sloshing around his mind. The man tied up in front of him, the boy gripping his hand tightly, the roof as they scrambled for safety, Marluxia finding them, Luxord helping him… Zexion and his cold demeanor… the gift of darkness… oh God.

"I'm… a nobody?" He whispered out loud, a fist pushing roughly against his eyes. These… dreams/ memories… they all pointed to that, right? Was that was he was? A monster? Or a human with an aether instead of a heart?

_It's not that bad, Roxas. _Naminé's voice wasn't soothing like she tried to make it.

"Tell that to- to-" _My father. _His throat tightened and he gritted his teeth in an almost painful way before he opened his eyes slowly, the alleyway slightly dizzy making as he attempted to focus. He was ok, right? His stomach twisted up in knots, but he managed to keep walking, hoping he didn't betray his feelings on his face.

He was a nobody. His father was a heartless. What did that make his mother? Was she a nobody who fell for her hunter? His face spasmed at the thought, and his hands shook. Those dreams… those five or six dreams… was that what was left of the truth?

"What does that make my life?" He asked hollowly, not noticing the woman that walked past and gave him a cursory glance before she kept walking. "A lie? Is that what my life is? A God Damned LIE?" He gritted his teeth and kept walking, hating how weak he felt. He didn't know something like this would affect him this much.

_Not all of it, Roxas. The past three years have been real._ Roxas laughed bitterly, not caring that he probably looked positively insane, muttering to himself and laughing randomly.

"That's reassuring… three out of what, sixteen?" He rolled his eyes and gave a low groan as his stomach threatened to spill, but he managed to keep it down, not wanting to make a scene. He just wanted to get home. If that's what that place was, anymore. Was that his home? Where was his real home? The place he'd run from when Marluxia killed his-_shudder-_father? The place Marluxia had taken him to? The place where his "mother" and "father" were? Where did he belong?

"Who was involved? How many people here have lied to me?" He asked dully, face bleak. His mother's comments this morning… Olette's puzzled, worried face… Seifer's subdued attitude… it was starting to fit.

_No one here has lied to you… they were deceived as well. As you gain memories of what your real life was like…_

"They gain memories of a life without me." He finished for her, almost sensing her hesitance to continue. She must have noticed the way his knees shook and his hands trembled. She must have felt the way he was sick to his stomach, ready to vomit on the sidewalk. He kept walking though, his mind reeling and his eyes downcast, the thunder unable to make a dent as he trudged "home". Things were starting to click. Things were starting to make sense and fall into place. The strange people claiming to know him… the dreams that seemed all too real…

That was because they _were_ real.

Roxas groaned and couldn't bother to be scared as the thunder cracked across the sky, releasing bucketfuls of rainwater onto his head, soaking him in seconds. He ignored the way Naminé seemed to be trying to placate him, trying to assure him that no townspeople had any idea that they were deceived as he didn't bother to pull his hood up to stop his hair from being soaked completely through, the droplets sliding down his face and clinging to his eyelashes. Why did it matter? So he was wet; what would his "mother" do, ground him? He was already grounded anyway… suddenly something like that seemed simply trivial.

What did it matter when they weren't his real parents?

When Roxas walked into his house, soaking wet, his mother was in the living room, her face downcast and her fingers working through a sewing thing. She glanced up when he walked in, but she didn't get up from her spot on the couch.

"Dear Lord, Roxas, why are you soaking wet?" She asked, voice a little sharper than usual. Roxas merely stared back at her, dripping on the floor. He numbly kicked off his shoes and set his wet bag down, not caring that his books were probably soaked. Why did it matter?

"Roxas?" He looked up at her slowly, shivering slightly in the air conditioned house.

"I'm fine… mother. I just got caught in the rain." He dully responded. He made his way past her and towards the stairs, tracking in wet spots on the carpet as he walked, not really aware of what he was doing. Naminé's voice sounded worried in his mind, but he ignored it.

"Don't stay in wet clothes and put them in the dirty clothes hamper." She called to him, exasperated. Roxas nodded mechanically.

"Yeah, my day was good, how was yours?" He muttered to himself, forcing himself to walk up the stairs and into his room. His mother called something after him, but he ignored it and merely closed the door, locking it to prevent her from coming in after him. Stripping down and changing into something dry he lethargically fell onto his bed and pulled his covers up around his head, curling into a ball as the shivers broke out and left him trembling.

_Roxas, it's going to be ok._

_**…How? What am I supposed to do now? I don't know anything about who I was, or what I did… where I went, and how I got here… who am I?**_

_That's why I'm here. I'm putting those memories back together._

_**Why were they taken away? **_

There was silence and Roxas waited vainly for her to return and tell him. He had to know. Demyx, Marluxia, Zexion, Luxord… who were they, really? Who was he?

_… They were taken away because of Xemnas._

_**Xemnas…? Who is that? That man that Demyx mentioned? **_

_I can show you, if you'd like. _

_**What do you-**_

Something clouded his vision and he had the feeling of sinking through something. He tried to struggle, but his limbs wouldn't move, and his throat constricted before he submitted to the shadows.

* * *

"_And who have you brought for me, my graceful assassin." His voice was smooth and calculating with an edge to it that made Roxas nervous. He peered up to see a man seated on an almost throne-like chair, his black cloak like the others but his hood down. He had silvery white hair that fell a little past his shoulders but some spiked up and some back. His tanned skin and sharp eyes stood out against his like colored hair, but that wasn't what made Roxas close his eyes and shudder._

_It was the raw power that seemed to give off an aura of engorged power. It was an eerie black glow around him that made Roxas hope and pray he didn't bring him any closer to the monster in front of him. _

_"His name is Roxas, superior. He's the son of Xehanort, the target for the last mission." Marluxia's head was bowed slightly, but Roxas could see an red glow around him, anger that licked around his body and seemed directed at the man in front of him. His fists were clenched but his face blank, eyes on the floor. The arrogance was in his eyes, but weren't revealed to the man in front of them. _

_"And why wasn't he disposed of, as ordered?" The man asked, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow. "Did you slip? Did you not see him until it is too late?" His tone turned mocking and the darkness around him grew. Roxas felt dread coursing through him at the mention of him being disposed of. Why would someone dispose of him? Just because of his father? _

_"Why, superior," Marluxia looked up, back straightening as he did so. "Roxas isn't just a liability. Did you not notice that he is a nobody as well?" Marluxia's aura changed to something dark that blended with the red and muddied the color. "He was spared because he can be an asset to us." Roxas stared up at Marluxia with slight relief that the man was standing up for him. _

_"What is your name, little nobody?" The man asked in bored, uncaring tones._

_"R-R… Roxas." Roxas responded past his scratchy, pained throat. _

_"And what is your gift, little nobody?" The man let gold eyes flicker towards Roxas with barely concealed annoyance that made Roxas shift uncomfortably and wish that he wasn't being stared at so harshly. What did he do wrong? _

_"Speak up if you want to live." Marluxia hissed from the side of his mouth, eyes still on the intimidating man in front of him. _

_"I… I don't know." Roxas forced the words past his lips. _

_"Sir." Marluxia hissed. _

_"__Sir__" Roxas amended hastily. There was a silence as the man in front of them assessed Roxas with barely concealed disgust, like he'd just smelled something particularly revolting. Roxas fidgeted, and Marluxia cleared his throat. _

_"Superior, he wields the darkness." Maruluxia said softly, a smirk tugging on his lips. The superior man's aura changed suddenly, a light color that made Roxas squirm. It wasn't a good color, he decided, no matter how light it was. _

_"Oh… really now. He does, does he?" The man raised a bored eyebrow, but the aura around him suggested otherwise. "And this is detrimental to us, how?" Beside Roxas, Marluxia hissed out a low breath. _

_"Having the power of shadows would help us to snuff out the light."He said patiently, like he was talking to a small child. A small, terrifying child. Roxas shuddered as the man assessed him with cold eyes once more, the aura darkening once more. _

_"Power… very well then. Get him a permanent room and a few clothes to wear… what he has is unsuitable." Marluxia nodded and swept his hand into an intricate sign before bowing and crossing his arm over. _

_"As the superior wishes." Marluxia's aura darkened as well, and Roxas shrank away from it. _

_"And it shall be done. Welcome, Roxas, to the organi-"_

_That's enough, I think._

_**What? Who was that? Was that this Xemnas guy? Welcome to what?**_ Roxas shook his head and felt frustration building. If anything, she'd just given him more questions to ponder instead of answering what he really needed to know.

_Sorry, that's all I can give you right now._ She sounded truly apologetic for the moment, and Roxas gritted his teeth, nodding as the shivers wracked through his body without his consent.

_**I understand.**_ Roxas thought numbly. Sure, he had a name. He had a face. He could picture the enemy, the person who had ordered his memories away-

_**Why did he order them away?**_

_That… I can't say. That is a memory for another day._

_**So… what do I do now?**_ He wondered miserably. Naminé didn't answer for a moment, leaving him to his shaky breath and chilled skin as he struggled to warm himself. It was like the rain had sunk deep into his bones and iced over, leaving his bones brittle and achy.

_For now… you wait._

Roxas nodded, unsure of himself, and he pulled his blankets closer towards his mouth so that his "mother" didn't hear his whimper.

* * *

_"You have to kill without care."_

_"But… why do I have to kill…?" _

_"It's kill or be killed."_

_"Why do they want to kill us?"_

_"Why did your father want to kill us?"_

_"He never wanted to kill me."_

_"And what, do you think, would have happened if he'd found out your little gift?"_

_"He… he would love me."_

_"Are you so sure of that?"_

_"… Wouldn't he?"_

_"Would he?"_

_"I… I wouldn't want him to know."_

_"Why?"_

_"He'd hate me."_

_"Yes, he would. Which is why you have to kill without care. You have to fight without hesitation. You have to become what they cannot defeat. You must get them before they get you."_

_"Yes sir." _

_"That's yes, superior."_

_"Yes, superior."_

* * *

The day was black when Roxas woke up. The clouds were low and inky, the shadows crawling over one another with a bitter vengeance that made him want to crawl back under the covers and not go to school. His head ached fiercely and he felt a little sick to his stomach. What was going on with him?

After going through his morning routine slowly Roxas made his way downstairs, checking the clock to see that he had no time for breakfast. Shrugging his shoulders he grabbed his bag and shoved his books for class into it, forgetting too late that he hadn't done any homework in the past few days. Great… just great.

"You're going to be late for school." Roxas's mother said from behind him, her tone curt and annoyed. Jerking around in surprise with his mother's tone, Roxas nearly jumped out of his skin. She was tired and haggard looking, her face pale and her hair wispy like she'd just woken up. Her thin bathrobe that she never wore anymore hung off of her shoulders loosely and her breathing was short, angry bursts of air.

"I'm going to be early, actually." Roxas corrected her, glancing at his watch. In truth, he'd be right on time, but he didn't want her snapping at his throat. She wasn't even his real mother, why should he listen to what she had to say?

"Don't use that tone with me you little brat." She snapped, glaring. "I'm getting tired of the way you just come and go as you please when I try to keep this place picked up for you. We're going to have to talk to your father about this when you both get home from work." A little unsettled with the way she was acting, Roxas nodded slowly, trying another tactic.

"Mom-" The word burned in his throat- "Are you ok? You look a little sick."

"I'm perfectly fine. What, are you trying to say something about how I look? Do I always have to look perfect to you or something?" She demanded, eyes darkening.

"No, you're just usually up and ready for sewing circle." Roxas nervously glanced down to where her hand was clenched into a fist. What was going on with her? This wasn't the woman he thought he knew.

"Do I always have to do the same thing? What, am I just here to please you or something?" She snarled, two pink patches appearing on her cheeks.

"No, no! I'm not saying that at all!" Roxas stepped back and held his hands up in surrender. This was escalating out of control, fast.

"You're not even my son! I can't stand the sight of you!" His mother hissed before she suddenly struck, back handing him and sending him back another few steps with the force of her blow. Hand to his stinging cheek, Roxas stared at her in shock, eyes wide and watery. Her black look was still there, her chest rising and falling with her heavy breathing and her hair framing her pale face as if she were a wraith.

"Get out of my house." She ordered between clenched teeth, jabbing a finger towards the door. Nodding numbly, Roxas grabbed his book bag and fled, slamming the door behind him as he tossed his skateboard down and propelled himself as fast as he could to get away.

_She doesn't remember your childhood_. Naminé informed him softly in his head as he gingerly touched his sore cheek. It smarted under his fingertips and he shook his head in confusion.

"So I learn one scene of my life and they forget a year?" He spat scathingly. Naminé chose not to respond to that, her silence an answer that Roxas didn't want to hear.

"Can I even go to school or are my records gone from there as well?" He asked as he veered sharply around a corner and almost fell off of his skateboard. A couple of people laughed as they watched and he promptly flipped one of them the finger, silencing their laughter with gasps of shock.

_I'm not sure how much of your schooling that's been deleted._ Naminé hedged carefully, probably tasting his anger at a higher degree since she was literally in his head. Nodding curtly, Roxas continued his quick pace, every now and then glancing up to the thick black clouds that loomed right over him like a shadow of death. Taking a right instead of a left he headed towards "The hang out spot" where his "friends" and he would hang out before school. Checking his watch, Roxas nodded in assurance to himself that they would have left for school by the time he got there.

Reaching the spot he hopped off of his board and sunk into the lumpy couch, slightly thankful that the overhang of one of the buildings kept it from getting wet in the rain the day before. Putting his head in his hands he ignored the sting in his cheek and gritted his teeth.

"Naminé, what am I going to do?" He asked softly.

_What do you mean?_

"My life is a lie. Everything I know… is gone. I'm a nobody, a 'legend' that died of hundreds of years ago. My real family is gone, strange men are following me, you're trying to put together my memories but everyone else is gaining back a life without me before I can get a life back without them. I have nowhere to go, and I don't know what to do." Roxas frowned around his words, hating how weak he sounded. Leon's words echoed in his head, warning him against Naminé, but he shook his head. Naminé was helping him now, helping him get back what he wasn't even aware he'd lost.

_I wish there was something I could say to help. All I can do is rearrange memories, Roxas. That is my gift as a nobody._

"Can you… show me my memories?" Roxas asked carefully. He stared down at the dirt ground, hating how he felt weak and defenseless. He was used to being able to stand on his own, and now he had to rely on a voice in his head? He hated it.

_I can show you some_.

"Thank you." Roxas whispered as he felt the tug in his heart and the strain in his mind that made stars dance in front of his eyes and the hideout spin around him. Falling to his side on the couch he let himself submit to the darkness that both frightened and excited him.

_He was sitting next to a boy much older than him and much, much more intimidating. He would every now and then reach up to rub an upside down tear drop tattoo right under his eye with a black gloved hand as if he were agitated or nervous. Acidic green eyes peered around them suspiciously like he expected to find someone lurking nearby. Flaming red hair styled like the back of a porcupine stood out like a blazing inferno around his head and every so often he'd tug a random strand of it, but other than that he was still with a frown about his lips. The aura around him was pure and light though, friendly and joking. Roxas knew that he could trust him just by the lax way that he leaned back and let the sun caress his pale face. _

_"What are we waiting for?" Roxas asked curiously as he peered around the clock tower the same way that the red head would every so often. _

_"Man, you're not really patient, are you? Just a kid…" The boy with the flaming red hair rolled his eyes good naturedly and ruffled Roxas's blonde hair. "We're waiting for the target to show up so that we can get rid of him and get Xemnas off your back about training progress." _

_"How is my training?" Roxas asked curiously, a little eager. He was hopeful to get praise from the guy that sat next to him, the guy so calm and self assured that it made butterflies jump in his stomach. For some reason he really wanted this guy to say something good. _

_"You're not aggressive enough." The boy said easily, shrugging. The hopeful feeling vanished easily, leaving nothing but dread. He knew he wasn't aggressive. He knew he wasn't always ready to hurt people. Looking down guiltily Roxas tried to act like he wasn't bothered with the let down. The boy saw his disappointment though and put a supportive arm around his shoulder, squeezing him comfortingly. _

_"Hey, it's ok. This is going to help you get aggressive." The boy reassured him with a low, confidant laugh. It was like he had everything under control and was waiting for things to fall into place. _

_"How will this help?" Roxas couldn't help but ask. _

_"Look; it's the target. Remember when I said you had to cover them with your shadows and wait for them to disappear?" His friend gave him an expectant look, frowning. _

_"Yes…" _

_"Do that to him." The boy commanded, lifting himself up by his arms and swinging back and forth slowly. Giving Roxas a playful wink he then vaulted himself off of the ledge, flying through the air and spinning around and around, faster and faster until Roxas could only see a blur of black and red. Then, in a flash of shadows, he was gone. Blinking wildly Roxas looked around the ground below himself, trying to see where his friend went. Spying him directly underneath him, Roxas took a deep, calming breath before he too vaulted from the top of the clock tower, spinning in a quick, tight circle with his arms folded tightly to his chest and his feet pointing down. _

_Think like smoke __he reminded himself silently, focusing on the feel of his body and the way that his gift tugged at the edges of his mind, beckoning him lightly. Pushing against the force that kept him in human form he tried to concentrate, and then willed himself as a shadow. _

_He never hit the ground. _

_"Good move, kid. Now get the target." The red head had pulled his hood up, concealing his face in the shadows of his clothing and covering him entirely as he slipped back and disappeared once again. Nodding slowly, Roxas took a deep breath and glanced down at himself, only half surprised to see that he was trailing smoke around the edges of his clothing, his body thinned and spreading in the air with a haze about it. Spying the man that the boy had pointed out he began to follow him, feeling the currents of air spread around him, lifting him and lowering him with the wind. _

_The man was thin and frail like he'd been starved, but there was keenness to his eyes that Roxas didn't like. It made the aura around him dark and twisted looking like it was that of a rabid animal. Superior had told him about auras and how he could see the truths of men based on it, but he didn't know what it meant to have a rabid aura; how dangerous was this man?_

_As the man turned the corner into an alley Roxas saw his chance. Slipping up over his target's head he merged with the shadows of the alley and slipped along towards the end of it to lie in wait. The target, oblivious, continued his walking without noticing the slightest change in the atmosphere around him. As he turned towards the direction Roxas was in, Roxas focused briefly for a moment before he stepped out from the shadows. _

_"Good Lord, kid!" The man jumped back as Roxas made his innocent, pale face visible. "You scared me! What are you doing down this way here, huh? It's not safe for children like you." The man's aura shifted dangerously. _

_"And is it safe for you?" Roxas asked quietly, keeping himself half in the shadows and half in the visible light, ready for the slightest change of hand. He was aware that his voice was haunting and cruel, much too old for his age. Zexion had taught him that the power of tone and words was everything when speaking. By simply raising the inflection at the end of a word, you could change the entire meaning, he'd said. And Roxas had changed the innocent question into more than a question; he'd turned it to a threat. _

_The man realized this a second too late._

_"What are you- wait, no!" Roxas made a motion with his hands and suddenly the shadows detached themselves from the walls, wrapping their being around him tightly and gripping him in a stranglehold. Roxas stepped up towards him, aware that his skin would look ashen and wispy and that his hair would curl and move like smoke if he got too close. By being a part of the shadows, he'd become the shadows. _

_"You've killed my family." Roxas said solemnly, shaking his head slowly. "I can't let you live." The man's aura flashed in panic and turned a garish sour color as he choked and spluttered against his closed windpipe. It was then that Roxas hesitated. It was then that he had a problem with continuing. _

_He didn't want to kill him. _

_The man's aura changed from the nasty sour color to something that made his heart hurt to see. It was a light colored green with tinges of blue around it, the mixing and blending of pain and regret as he was slowly suffocated. The image burned into Roxas's eyes as he saw the seedy man gasp and gurgle for breath. His stomach roiled unpleasantly, his eyes watered at the site, and without thinking he released his fingers from their gripping motion in mid-air, letting the man drop to his knees to cough and splutter for oxygen, one hand to his sore and bruised throat. _

_"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Roxas whispered, his knees giving out and causing him to slump to the ground. "I can't- I can't hurt you." _

_"I… thank you… child…" The man managed to wheeze slowly, his voice hoarse and trembling. Roxas could hardly hear him though, his mind screaming different things to him that he should do. He had to kill him; it was a direct order. Yet, how was he supposed to __kill__ him? How was he supposed to take a life like that? He wasn't his father; he couldn't bring himself to make someone hurt that badly. _

_Lost in his internal battle, Roxas hadn't realized that he'd left himself wide open. Surrounded by his shadows he didn't feel the sting of someone's hand at his throat until it was too late. There was the burning sensation around his throat before he felt himself being lifted into the air, the oxygen flow stopping with a choking gurgle._

_"You should have killed me when you had the chance, brat." The man hissed, his wild eyes boring into Roxas's mind and leaving all logical thought behind. The very terror of not being able to breathe settled in over him and he began scratching and clawing with his fingernails, wheezing for breath as his legs kicked feebly. _

_"You can't get out of this you stupid little nobody." The man pulled him close, devilish eyes glinting and his aura burning with murderous glee. "You can't even control your power to stop me." Roxas kicked feebly against him, his eyes and lungs practically on fire as he struggled to fight off the bigger and stronger man. _

_He was going to die. _

_"Get your hands off him." There was a flash of red and then Roxas was thrown back against the wall, the breath rushing from him with a great big __whoosh__ and his lungs inflating the moment they had the chance. Coughing and spluttering like the man had been doing just moment before, Roxas felt tears running down his face in panic and pain as his throat burned. Holding his throat tenderly Roxas peered through his gift to see that the man was fighting against the very essence of flame, his eyes wide and terrified as he beat back the heat to no avail. _

_There was a low roar of fire and then a rushing noise as Roxas's savior stepped through the inferno with a look of utmost fury gracing his face. His eyes didn't sparkle in an all knowing way, and his body was tense and primed to kill. His aura was a dark red of bloodlust that shook Roxas to the very core. _

_"Don't you __ever_ _touch him, __ever__ again." He hissed, raising the fire up and around them in the tiny alley. Roxas, fearing to get burned, shrunk closer into the darkness and molded himself to it, feeling his cells thin and his solid structure slowly fade. _

_The man was screaming and trying to get away but the fire master wouldn't have it. His eyes darkening he lifted his hands up and then flicked his wrist, sending a flaming chakram flying through the blaze and imbedding it in the man's throat._

_And then the fire was gone like it had never been there. His savior stood in the suddenly clear alleyway, his dark features fading as he took a long, slow breath and reached out, yanking the chakram out of the man's throat and flicking it to the side and letting out a hiss as it disappeared. _

_Roxas watched as his friend slowly turned towards the smoky corner where he sat, trembling in his shadow form._

_"Roxas," He spoke in a hoarse, haggard voice that made Roxas want to shrink and disappear. "Roxas, come out from there." _

_Roxas slowly, hesitantly moved, pulling his form back together and shaping it to that of a human. His knees trembled despite his gritted teeth and his breathing was a soft, keening sound that made his throat burn. Taking a shaky step from the shadow he tried to wipe the slightly dried tears from his face, not wanting to look weak. He'd already failed his mission and nearly died, he didn't want his friend to see his failure. Raising a hand slowly, the red head reached forward and lightly touched Roxas's throat where he was sure a red mark was visible. Flinching, Roxas looked down and let out another painful breath before he was inhaling the smell of leather and smoke as his friend pulled him flush against his chest, his arms wound tightly around his waist and neck. _

_"Don't you __ever__ do that to me again." He breathed into Roxas's ear, his hands shaking as he clenched them against Roxas's back. "You have no idea what you just did to me." His voice was hoarse and shaky; his head buried into Roxas's neck as he sunk to his knees and held him. _

_"I'm sorry." Roxas wheezed to him, clinging just as tightly. His lips were trembling and he could barely see out of his blurry, watery eyes as he tried not to cry. Superior said it was foolish to cry. Crying was merely a weakness. _

_"God, Roxas, what were you thinking? You almost died…" His voice trailed off as he clung even tighter and refused to let go. Roxas couldn't help it; he felt the tears flowing over and running down his cheeks, the fear rushing through him and making his heart pound in fear._

_"I'm sorry, I'm not a good fighter, I can't- I can't-"_

_"Shh… it's ok… it's going to be ok." He whispered, and he brushed a hand through Roxas's hair. Roxas wasn't exactly sure if he was speaking to reassure Roxas or himself, but he nodded and held on tighter, glad that he was there. If he wasn't watching…_

_"You saved me." Roxas whispered. _

_"That's what best friends do, Roxas. That's what I do."_

Roxas jerked awake, his gasp of shock echoing in the enclosed area as he twisted around and attempted to right himself on the couch. Overhead the thunder rolled and small flashes of light attempted to break through the black clouds, adding panic to the blood that was rushing through his system.

"What the hell was that, Naminé?" He spat, the words falling from his lips unbidden.

_That's your first mission with the people who took you in._

"So I was trained to be what, a killer?" He asked, forcing back the shudder that rippled along his spine.

_Yes_.

"And that guy with the red hair… he was my trainer?"

_And your best friend_.

Roxas shook his head slowly, trying to get a grip on what he'd just seen. He'd attempted to kill someone? With shadows?

"Wait, that was my power as a… as a nobody?" With difficulty, he pushed the words out and frowned at how it sounded. It was like he was calling himself a dirty word or insulted who he was.

_You have a very interesting gift._

"How… old was I?" He frowned at the way he'd broken down so easily, crying a blubbering like a child. He couldn't have been younger than 10; was he really that weak? Crying like that? He hadn't cried when his father died yet he cried in this memory?

_You were 11 and a year into training. To be fair, it is a lot more strenuous to use a gift like that… your memory of it doesn't do it justice, or the pain you felt. I don't know details but there are psychological setbacks to the power you have._

"Like reducing me to a blubbering mess?" Roxas asked dryly.

_Something like that._

"So this group I was a part of… had gifts like that?"

"Better believe it buddy… care to see a demonstration?" Roxas turned at the noise but froze as he felt a blade pressed against his throat.

* * *

_Ah... uh oh... who is it? _

_Leave a review and let me know!! _

_Whoever gets it right wil have their name announced and be a beast in my book :D_

_Oh... hit or miss? Let me know in a review!_

_Reviews are fuel to the perverbial fire..._

Axel- So... what happened there?

Roxas- I think they just introduced you in my memory...

Axel- No, I mean, why did she make you into such a crybaby!?!?

Roxas- I'm not a crybaby!

Axel- Yeah, sure.... sorry you're not a good fighter :D HAHAHA

Roxas- Yeah, thanks... Oh, Roxas, what were you thinking?! Oh my poor Roxas!! ... and you call me the crybaby?

Axel- ... You're not very nice.


	7. Games

_Thanks for all of your reviews guys!! :)_

_Though.... No one guessed correctly, so sorry for no cookies, love, or confetti!!_

_But! I love you all for trying anyway :D_

_Anywho, sorry this took so long, caught up with lots of things... so yeah!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Roxas kept very still, his pulse pounding right against the blade that was pressed taut against his throat. The person before him was practically glowing with sick excitement as they cocked a hip and raised an eyebrow, looking him slowly up and down.

"My, my, my… it's been awhile, right, Roxas?" The woman in front of him let out a soft, breathy laugh and her mouth twisted into a smirk. She wore the same black outfit as the others in his dreams and reality, the hood pulled down to reveal light blonde hair that had been cut short and slicked back close to her head, two bangs pulled up and away from her face like a weird version of antennae. She was pale and average height, the cloak hugging the curves of her body like a second skin.

"What- who are you? What do you want with me?" Roxas managed to speak past the tightness in his throat as his hands became clammy, and his stomach jumped uncomfortably. The knife hadn't moved from the pulse on his neck and the hand holding it was steady and confidant.

"Oh, you don't remember me either? Poor little Roxas lost all of his memories!" She let out a giggle and shook her head, cold, unfeeling eyes trained on him. "You always were the weaker one; it's no surprise someone got into your head and took all your thoughts away." She laughed again and tapped him on the nose in an almost playful manner that made a picture flash before his eyes.

_She was laughing, throwing shocks of electricity at him again and again as she taunted him in a less than joking way that made the fury dance across his skin._

"Are you part of the organization?" Roxas demanded as he blinked and saw the real her again. The sardonic eyebrow rose a fraction of an inch and she tilted her head, eyes sparkling deviously. Some of the cold fear in his stomach lessened merely to be replaced with a sort of anger at her and anger at himself for being caught so easily.

"Yeeees…" She dragged the word out slowly. "And so were you, once upon a time. Before you decided to take a little vacation while the big boys worked. What, was it too hard for you?"

"What do you want with me?" He demanded again, glad that his voice didn't betray the nerves that bounced around and made his spine shiver.

"I'm here on a mission." She replied with an uncaring shrug that didn't match the rest of her. The rest of her was excited and ready, the bone chilling stare telling him that she was prepared to hurt, and maim as much as she could.

She was ready to kill.

"What's the mission?" He had to keep her busy. Something was telling him that she was distracted easily by taunting and by her own self-importance. He had to keep her interested enough to jest and joke while he thought of a way to escape.

"My mission, as boring as it is, is you. Don't you feel special?" She purred softly, green blue eyes sparkling dangerously.

"What do you want with me?" Roxas prompted, mind scrambling. She was in the way of the exit and she'd have to somehow move around him slowly in order for him to even have a chance. Her knife posed a problem though. She seemed in deadly control of what she did with it and could probably stab him in the back as he tried to run since he wasn't that fast.

_**Naminé… a little help?**_

_I'm sorry Roxas… I didn't know she was coming. _

_**I just need to know how to get away.**_

_I… I don't know how you're getting out of this one, Roxas._

"Oh don't feel so self important Roxy… I'm just here to get something." She laughed lightly and then moved in closer, leaning towards his ear and adding an electric bite to her words. "All I need to pry from your lips is a name. Just one little name and then your usefulness is gone. Not that you were every truly useful, no matter what you thought." Roxas jerked away from her, momentarily pulling the knife from his neck as he stumbled back and glared at her amused face. In the blink of an eye though she had the knife against his neck and her eyes were sparkling in amusement.

"Oh, I'll never tire of that. You were always so, so… _jumpy_ around me. It was amusing." She laughed again and closed her eyes like she was savoring a memory.

"What name do you need?" Roxas asked carefully, trying to pull his head back so that he could shift towards the exit. Maybe if she was distracted enough…

Opening her eyes she tapped the blade against his vein to remind him to stay put.

"I just want the name of the person who took your memories… and the name of the person that's giving them back. That's not so hard now, is it?" She tilted her head to the side and watched him, a predator that had successfully and easily cornered its prey.

"I don't know who you're talking about." Roxas lied edgily, only telling half of the truth. As if sensing this, the girl shifted and tsk'd him with a smirk.

"Now, now, now… no need to lie to me. After all… we do have history together, don't we? Best friends and all." She laughed a cold and cruel laugh as she tapped him on the nose again.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Memories of what?" Her eyes flashed wickedly at that and she tapped the knife against his pulse a little harder.

"Don't be stupid; I heard you talking to yourself, Roxy, there's no use lying. A little nobody is in your head." A dark look passed over her face and she leaned in a little more. "Give me their name."

"I don't know who it is! I don't know who took my memories away and I don't know who's putting them back." He frowned and tried to put on his best serious and honest face. He could almost see the lack of interest starting to form in her eyes and he knew he had to get her attention somehow, soon.

"You're beginning to bore me, Roxas." She warned him with a darkness in her tone that made his blood churn.

"I don't know who is doing any of this to me." He replied with gritted teeth, knowing that she was going to attack soon. How did he know? The knife was beginning to push against his skin in a way that would prove fatal soon if he didn't hurry.

"Not going to talk? That's ok… orders are to get information and kill you anyway. At least I'll complete half of the mission. I can always blame Zexion for all of this… even if he's innocent." Grinning, she pulled the knife back slowly and carefully deposited it in the folds of her cloak, blue green eyes taking on a luster that Roxas didn't like.

"What are you doing?" He asked hesitantly, moving away from her now that his life wasn't in immediate danger. Moving into a mid-crouch she observed him with cat-like eyes that narrowed in concentration as her lips parted to reveal a deadly, sinister smile.

"Why, I'm going to have some fun." She replied easily.

"What are you going to do to me?" He moved farther back, heart beginning to pound against his ribcage erratically. Sliding a hand through her slicked back blonde hair the woman rolled her shoulders back and then winked as she laughed.

"I'm going to kill you, of course."

She launched herself across the distance between them and before Roxas had the time to blink she was right in front of him, fingers sliding up his jacket before she grabbed him tightly by the neck and launched him up and over her head, sending him flying through the air before he landed roughly on the couch upside down. Pain danced up his spine at the jarring contact but at the sound of her laughter he twisted around and struggled to right himself, hitting the floor on his knees.

Before he had time to scramble to his feet he was being lifted again, surprise at her strength fleeting through his mind as he was thrown to the ground, the breath rushing from his lungs with a soft hiss.

_"Want to play a game?" Larxene taunted._

_"Yeah, I'll play a game. Fight me like a man, Larxene. Stop acting like a spoiled, weak woman." Roxas retorted, shifting into a fighting stance. Surprise flitted over her face before an arrogant smirk settled over her lips. _

"Had enough, Roxy? I've only touched you twice. Is this the great power everyone always raved about? I'm not impressed." Roxas blinked past the stars flashing around his eyes and wheezed in a painful breath, flinching as she came into view. She peered over him, laughter in her eyes as she did so, and she poked his nose in jest as he coughed out air.

"Larxene." He whispered hoarsely, inwardly cheering as she froze and regarded him carefully for a moment. Turning her head slightly she raised an eyebrow but leaned in a little closer all the same.

"So you know my name, kid. Pity it's the last thing you'll remember." Shrugging, she went to reach for him but he cut her off again.

"W-want to play… a game?" He wheezed to her, inwardly groaning. Whoever said that action movies were realistic were _liars_. It hurt like hell to be thrown around like that!

"A… game?" She raised an eyebrow and her grin grew just a little bit. "You want to play a _game_ with me?" She studied him for a moment as if debating as to whether he was serious or not before she shrugged and moved, grabbing him by the jacket to pull him to his feet. Regaining his balance Roxas coughed lightly and breathed in slowly, pushing the pain in his back away for later.

If he lived long enough for later, that is.

"Alright, I'm interested. What game, Roxy?" She cocked her hip and folded her arms, eyes intent on him and the doorway incase he tried to leave.

"Just me and you… the objective is to land ten hits on me." He pulled the idea out of nowhere, hoping she wouldn't call him out on it. He didn't have any other ideas to work with. "If I can keep away from you and manage to get you ten times, I win. If you get ten hits on me though…" Larxene's lips curled up cruelly.

"You die." She finished with a small laugh. Nodding slowly, Roxas positioned himself into what he believed was a fighting stance as she ran a finger down her smooth jaw line like she were thinking it through.

"You really want to play this game, Roxy?" She asked with a tone that said quite clearly that he had no choice anymore. She'd agreed the moment he had proposed the idea. "I mean, even with your gift you were weak… what makes you think that you're going to win against me?" Her grin widening she moved into a strange form, her arms straight out on either side, palms up. "Look up at the sky, genius. It's already threatening to storm and you're just bringing the rain faster. In a hurry to die or something?" She grinned maliciously.

"Fight like a man, Larxene." Roxas taunted, not entirely sure where he was getting the guts to speak to his soon to be killer. Maybe the shock of it had turned him reckless? It didn't matter. What mattered was getting out of the situation alive.

"Oh, I'll do more than that, kid." She hissed before she suddenly flicked her wrist and a soft crack filled the air before Roxas jumped to the side, the spot where he'd just been standing singed with a black mark. Holy _shit_ she was fast! Seeing him stumble to the side in shock her smile grew into a full blown sneer and she crouched down a little, sweeping one arm to the side. Seeing the sweeping motion, he rolled to the other side in time to avoid another swipe of heat filled electricity that crackled in the air next to him.

"You can dodge? I'm surprised; you used to just stand there!" She crowed and then swept each hand down on either side, causing him to move towards her to avoid the sweeps of lightening. As he passed her though she flicked her wrist and he felt something zap his leg before he fell with a yell of pain.

"Ooh… thought I should warn you, Roxy. My hits? Too deadly to reach ten." Giggling, she grabbed him and pulled him back up again, her lips pressed against his ear. "That's not a problem… is it?" Tears of pain stinging his eyes he weakly managed to reach up and grab a fistful of hair, ripping it with all his might and kicking her to pull himself from her grasp, a chunk of corn silk blonde hair his trophy.

Larxene let out a shriek of dismay and slight pain when she saw her hair fisted in his hand. Reaching up she tenderly touched the spot that was missing her hair and then her eyes darkened angrily.

"You'll pay for that." Larxene growled, bending down at the knees into a fighting crouch.

"The score's one to one, Larxene." Roxas retorted heavily, blindly reaching down to touch the burn on his calf from her lightening strike. Hissing in pain he pulled back and rested the weight on it, unsurprised that it was shaky.

"Not for long." Larxene hissed and then she began her barrage of attacks, her hands swinging and twisting as she danced around him to find an opening, the electricity sizzling around them as Roxas moved and ducked, twisting around the white hot strands that proved deadly when one nabbed him in the arm and he stumbled, groaning in pain as he found that he could hardly lift his arm.

"Two to one, Roxy! Whassa matter… poor baby getting tired?" Larxene snapped and then laughed before she picked up the pace and Roxas dug his feet into the ground to add speed to his movements to get away.

He was getting tired quickly, he realized. Sweat was beginning to draw up around his forehead and slowly crawl down into his eyes, but he didn't dare wipe it away and risk losing his vision. It was already hard to see amongst the blinding lightening; he didn't want to give her the upper hand.

_You need to use your gift_. Naminé urged in his head as he narrowly missed getting struck in the chest with a bolt of lightening. Chest heaving he turned and tried to get closer to her only to have to turn at the last moment to avoid an entire wall of white hot light. Behind it, Larxene laughed at his desperate dodging.

_**And how can I do that? I'm a little busy here.**_ Roxas gritted his teeth and rolled, feeling his hair sizzle as she struck the lightening right next to his head.

_Focus on the shadows; focus on the darkness around you and become a part of it_. Fatigue was wearing onto his muscles and his leg screamed in pain.

_**Trying to focus on staying alive**_. Roxas snapped back as his breath choked in his throat.

"Oh don't pass out, Roxas, the fun's just beginning!" Larxene hissed something under her breath and above her head the thunder boomed loudly in response. The barrage of attacks ceased and Roxas fell back against the wall, breathing heavily as he watched her motions. His lunged screamed for oxygen and he drank it in greedily, a hand grasping his stinging, useless arm. He was close to passing out, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. Stopping meant failure.

Failure meant death.

She was swinging her arms slowly around her head, pale lips pulled back into an animalistic smile as she watched him, the shield of lightening gone and presenting him with a totally in control, unharmed woman.

"Done yet, Roxy?" She cooed playfully as she moved her arms slowly. It was as if she were gathering some unseen object from above, and wiping the sweat from his face Roxas gulped in air and stared dumbly as he tried to figure out what she was doing.

"I'm not finished 'till I'm dead." He managed to reply. Rolling her head on her neck Larxene laughed.

"You picked a dumb game to play, Roxie." She shook her head and tsk'd him. "You know what this is, kid?" Above them the thunder roared and she laughed right along with it, hands moving in the slow, careful circle. "This is mark three through ten. Play the mark game in a lightning storm? Bad day to be Roxas." Slowly she raised her hands above her head and then closed her eyes, breathing as a bright, painful light engulfed her entirely and flashed with a heat that Roxas could feel from across the way. It was then that he knew; he was as good as dead. There was no way he could absorb it like Larxene was. Gritting his teeth, he braced himself for pain.

And death.

"Bad, bad day to be Roxas." Larxene repeated before she let out a hiss and moved, the light rushing from her and streaking across the way to him, the tendrils snapping and wrapping around one another as they raced towards him hungrily. Eyes wide and panicked, Roxas clenched his teeth and saw death flash right before him.

It never came.

_BAM!_

Roxas's eyes instinctively closed for the pain, but when nothing happened he slowly opened them to see a boy standing in front of him, large sword drawn and splayed before them. His aquamarine eyes were narrowed and his teeth were gritted as the sword absorbed the lightning and then returned it with equal force, shocking Larxene into dodging out of the way to avoid her own death sentence. As silence filled the hideout Larxene assessed Roxas's savior with disgust and annoyance flashing across her face.

"Aren't you a little old for games, Larxene?" The silver haired boy asked calmly as he slid his feet to the side and swung his sword up like it was a baseball bat. Dusting off her cloak and swiping her hair back, Larxene shrugged in a nonchalant way.

"For Roxy I make an exception to everything." She cooed, her voice contrasting the sharp fury that danced in her eyes. Roxas watched them both avidly, shock keeping him rooted to the spot.

"What do you want with him?" The boy asked in an impatient tone, shifting from one foot to the other as he watched Larxene's every moment with quick, sweeping glances of his oceanic eyes. His fingers were tense on his sword, his grip tight.

"What I want with Roxas doesn't concern you. Kindly step out of the way; you're interrupting our little game." Shifting to the left, Roxas wasn't surprised to see the strange boy move with him and Larxene step in kind to the right.

"Though I usually would hate interrupting, I know people who need Roxas alive and breathing. Sorry to disappoint." The boy didn't sound sorry at all though, and Larxene laughed brightly at that, her stance shifting to that of an offensive fighting while the boy twisted his sword into something defensive. How Roxas knew the difference, he had no idea, but he wasn't going to question it.

"No disappointment at all… I'll enjoy waiting for the chance to rip his throat out by hand." She snarled as she suddenly struck, sending a flash of lightening towards them without batting an eyelash. The boy deflected the blow easily, sending the bright light crashing into the wall beside them.

"I wasn't aware that you were such a sadist." He taunted, swinging the blade up to block another attack. Larxene squealed with laughter, throwing her head back with the effort and sending ice rushing through Roxas's veins with her voice alone.

"Oh, didn't you know? The more pain for you, the more fun for me!" Swinging her arms up, she suddenly lunged, sweeping close and letting the electricity crackle at her fingertips before twisting up and away, throwing the attack down and at Roxas's head. Jumping out of the way, Roxas felt himself being thrown towards the door and he stumbled, barely catching himself before the strange boy jumped over him and blocked another attack.

"Roxas, get out of here!" The boy shouted as Larxene twisted and began throwing rapid-fire bursts of light, her laughter echoing around. Scrambling to his feet Roxas forced himself to move, rushing from the hideout and ignoring the sounds of fighting as he forced his screaming legs to rush away from the battle instead of collapse onto the concrete sidewalk. His injured leg trembled and burned but he pushed the thought aside in favor of self-preservation, hardly giving his rescuer a second thought as he ran.

Feet pounding against the sidewalk his mind scrambled for a safe place. He couldn't go back home; he didn't want to face whatever reality his "mother" would shove at him. He couldn't go to school with the condition he was in, and he couldn't go to his girlfriend's house. She'd probably befriended Seifer again since that's how it would have been if Roxas hadn't come along. Pence would ask too many questions, and though Hayner was probably still angry at him, he was the only person Roxas could think of to hide out with and not get caught.

He picked up his pace, in a hurry to get as far away from the demonic woman as possible. His breathing was ragged and his lungs burned, but he had to keep moving, picturing her face as incentive for a faster pace and a reason to get away. As he reached his best friend's house, he stumbled over to the small porch and slumped onto the concrete, wheezing out breath. He really, really needed to get into shape.

And now he just needed to wait.

Twisting his body around, Roxas pulled at his singed pants to assess the damage on his leg. He was bleeding from a pretty large gash, the skin around it a bright pink that seemed to ooze blood. The skin was completely gone for the most part and whenever his pants brushed it, it burned like sticking a hand into a blazing fire.

"Thought I'd find you here." Roxas jerked his head up, alarmed, but when he saw that it was Hayner the feeling passed into mere wariness. He wasn't sure how his friend would react to him being there, but he could deal with a mere drama problem. In comparison to people trying to take his life and his memories being out of the loop, friend drama was the least of his problems.

"I… can't stay at my house." He stood up slowly, avoiding making any faces of pain so that his friend wouldn't ask any questions. He didn't want to have to lie too much.

"Apparently you couldn't stay at school either."

"Look, I just-"

"I don't need any excuses man. Your business is your business." Hayner shrugged and his light brown eyes assessed Roxas's appearance critically, taking in his haggard breathing, sweaty face, and singed clothing. Drawing his own conclusions he cleared his throat and readjusted his bag.

"I know you're still mad about yesterday but-"

"Hey, past is past. I'd already forgotten about it. You're the one who can't let things go." Hayner raised an eyebrow and moved past him, unlocking the front door and stepping inside, not bothering to welcome Roxas in. Rolling his eyes Roxas stepped in after him and followed him into the kitchen where Hayner dumped his school stuff and reached into the fridge, pulling out a small bottle of some sort of gel.

"Shower's upstairs, man. You smell." Grinning wryly Roxas went upstairs to the room he practically lived in sometimes and then entered the adjoining bathroom, stripping carefully and jumping into the shower. The hot water felt good on his back and aching muscles, but the moment it hit his burns he had to bite back a scream to keep from alerting Hayner. Scrubbing the sweat from his hair and body he had to make the shower quick to save his burns from absolutely murdering him.

While he showered he wondered silently about Hayner's reaction. He usually was a curious, temperamental person when it came to fights and situation's that he didn't understand. Now though, he was open to helping and had seemed nonchalant about the entire thing like he saw stuff like that every day. Would he have always been like that if Roxas hadn't come along?

When he finished he made his way downstairs, clothed in a spare set of jeans and a black t-shirt that Hayner had set out for him.

Setting down on the bar stool Roxas watched as Hayner moved around the bar and sat on the other stool, motioning for Roxas to turn. Doing so, Roxas felt Hayner tugging his shirt up and Roxas rolled the fabric up and away from the burn, exposing the tender skin underneath that was enflamed.

"What's that?" Roxas asked curiously as Hayner poured some of the gel onto his fingers thickly.

"Aloe Vera… heals burns." Hayner quietly but meticulously cleaned the wound, covering the entire burn with the Aloe Vera until he was satisfied. Grabbing some gauze from the cupboard above their heads he then wrapped Roxas's arm in a professional way like he treated burns every day. Motioning for him to lift his leg, Roxas watched him go over the same ritual.

The entire time he was quiet, not asking and not expecting Roxas to speak. When he finished though, he put everything away and then sat back down, eyeing Roxas like one would eye their mother if they found out that she was a part time assassin.

"During roll call in homeroom the teacher said your name and then asked if we had a new student." He said conversationally, watching the way that Roxas shifted uncomfortably at that. When he didn't respond, Hayner continued.

"Yeah, and when Seifer asked if you and Olette were an item… she asked who he was talking about and said that she'd been single for the past year or so." Roxas nodded dumbly along, hating where this was going. He didn't want to get Hayner involved. He didn't want to deal with the problems that would arise. He didn't want any of this happening!

"Seems like I have memories of us as best friends… but I don't know where they came from. I know you showed up one day and the next day I thought that you'd lived here all your life. I know what your room looks like but I don't know your parents that well even though I have memories of all of us laughing and joking." He reached across the counter and grabbed a juice box, tossing one to Roxas who caught it numbly, eyes still on his best friend.

"And now you show up to my house with a look like someone just tried to murder you." Hayner finished slowly, making his tone sound factual instead of curious. He was trying to open up an outlet for Roxas without pushing for it, and for that Roxas was grateful.

As he opened his mouth to speak though, another person flashed in front of his eyes, a man with fiery red hair and acid green eyes that hugged him tightly. Another man that for some reason protected him like he was the most precious thing in the world and nothing else mattered. Closing his mouth slowly, Roxas sighed and stood up, juice box in hand.

"You don't expect an answer from me, right?" He asked softly. Hayner frowned but nodded all the same.

"Course not. We're best friends, after all." Roxas laughed bitterly at that and slowly began walking up the stairs, heading towards the bedroom with the spare bed.

"That's what we'd like to think." He replied softly. As he turned the corner up the stairs he saw Hayner watching him, brown eyes unreadable as he slowly nodded in agreement and turned away, motioning for him to keep going.

"Regardless… you're welcome here until we don't think like that anymore." He informed him in his gruff and surprisingly sentimental way. Making his way into the spare bedroom Roxas collapsed onto the bed and ignored the aches and pains that were all over his body. All he wanted was to sleep off his pain.

_How are you feeling?_

_**Sore… and tired. I don't know how I would have gotten out of that without that guy showing up and saving me**__._

_That was pretty lucky._

_**Do you know him?**_

_… No._

Roxas frowned as he heard the uncertainty in Naminé's voice. She obviously knew him, but didn't want to admit it. Inwardly sighing, he decided to let it go.

_**Either way, whoever he was, he had to be on the opposite side of the organization.**_

_Probably on the same side as Leon. _Naminé agreed

_**We should try to find him or figure out who he is. He said someone wanted me alive…?**_

_If he's on the same side as Leon of course he'd want you alive. They believe I'm killing you, remember?_

Roxas didn't really respond to that, his mind whirling. These people kept showing up to save him from people he used to be a part of but now wanted to kill him. At the same time, Naminé was helping him gain back what someone took from him. And yet the people saving him also wanted him to block out Naminé? It was like Naminé was on a good side all of her own, and the other good side didn't want to share the title.

_**You're becoming more and more like a friend than a villain, Naminé.**_

_In your subconscious there's a whole different type of friend you've been thinking of._

_**The red head?**_

_He's been right here in the back of your mind ever since you saw your last memory. _

_**Was he really… my best friend?**_

_Without a doubt._

Roxas took a deep breath, the vision flashing across his mind unbidden. The anorexic looking red head that'd killed without a second thought.

That had killed to protect him.

Hayner knew who he was and understood things about him that sometimes he didn't even know. Even with his memories of him fading he still held onto the memories of their friendship that he could remember in order to help him.

Yet… it didn't feel a thing like what he'd had with the red head.

But what had he had? It was driving him nuts not to remember.

_**Naminé? Can you… show me another memory of him?**_

And without a response she shifted the shadows across his mind and showed him.

_"And were you aware that you were a nobody?" A man with long white blonde hair assessed him with cruel green eyes._

_"Not until Marluxia tried to kill me." Roxas had learned very quickly that mentioning his father was taboo and no one cared about his twin brother's disappearance. Even though he still woke up in a cold sweat and silently crying, he wasn't supposed to show how upset he was without Sora. It wasn't becoming of the organization._

_"So your gifts were nonexistent before then… you're going to need a trainer." The man adjusted the hood of Roxas's cloak, much to the blonde's annoyance. He hated how he had to wear the cloak around everywhere like it was a part of him. The others didn't seem to mind it but it drove him nuts. Tugging at the edges of his sleeves he nodded slowly as the man led him into a rec room of sorts. The lights were dimmed except for the glow from the TV. Sprawled on the couch was a boy a few years older than him that he'd seen around a few times in the two weeks that he'd been in the organization. Next to him on another couch was a boy with freakishly cut hair and a grin on his face that was avidly watching the TV. Lounging next to him was a light blonde haired girl who was amusing herself with shooting flashes of electricity up and around their heads at the dust motes in the air. _

_"Listen up; it's time you met the newest member of the organization." The man stepped in front of the TV and successfully caught their attention. The dirty blonde haired boy leaned back from his attentive stance and blinked owlishly up at them, mouth open. _

_"Oh, the new kid? I'd heard about him!" The boy leaned in close and examined Roxas like he was some sort of specimen, making Roxas move away and stare incredulously at the guy who was invading his personal bubble. The girl looked over at him with boredom clear on her face as she studied him with blue green eyes. _

_"He's a scrawny little thing." She stated in a tone that said she really didn't care. The red head glanced up lazily and barely gave him a sidelong glance before shrugging and shifting into a more comfortable spot on the couch. _

_"His name is Roxas." The man continued, unconcerned for their remarks. "He'd going to need someone to train him with his gift though; the older members can't be bothered with it." The two blondes exchanged glances before they both leaned in towards Roxas with opposite looks of intrigue on their faces._

_"He looks fun!" The boy gushed brightly. _

_"He's weak." The girl noted, looking Roxas slowly up and down. "He wouldn't be able to put up with my training program."_

_"No one can keep up with your training program." The boy joked brightly. "He's cute though, don't you think? In a little boy kind of way." _

_"Keep the boy away from him Vex, he might molest him." The girl drawled._

_"I wouldn't molest him! You'd kill him, Larxene. You wouldn't put him with her, would you Vex?" The boy looked worriedly between the impatient adult and the girl's darkly amused face. _

_"No… it wouldn't be wise to put him with her. You would grow impatient and probably kill him." The man nicknamed Vex shook his head and dragged a finger along his lengthy jaw line as Roxas stepped back from Larxene's gaze. _

_"I'm not disagreeing to that." Larxene shrugged and leaned back, eyeing Roxas like he was a toy she wanted to break. _

_"I could teach him!" The blonde haired boy declared as he leaned in and inspected Roxas with eager baby blue eyes. Leaning away, Roxas glanced over at Vex with an, "are you serious?" look. _

_"Oh come on Vexen, you know if Demyx had his way with him he'd never learn anything. He'd just sit there and teach him how to play music." Larxene drawled as she drew lazy figure eights of electricity in the air. Vexen gave the both of them a long, hard look before he nodded and cleared his throat. _

_"Axel, you will train him." Vexen said in a matter of fact tone, motioning to where the red head was still sprawled on the couch, uncaring about the conversation. The boy in question looked up with bright green eyes, face indifferent. He slowly looked Roxas up and down before he shook his head and hunkered back into the couch. _

_"No thanks." The red head grunted in reply, closing his eyes and letting a shadow of a smirk steal over his face. Stepping away slightly, Roxas looked up at Vexen and then back at the boy named Axel, a little unsettled. Who would help him get a grip on his gift now? _

_"This isn't debatable; you're going to train him." Vexen folded his arms and gave the rebellious teen a pointed look. Axel cleared his throat and tucked his arms under his head to prop it up. _

_"Not interested in the position, Vex." He dead panned, eye still closed and mouth twisted into the strange smile. Larxene and Demyx looked over at him with barely concealed surprise at his rejection and Roxas could almost imagine them on the verge of telling him to come to his senses. _

_"You're going to train him, interested or not." Vexen snapped, temper starting to flare. "And don't make me go to the superior about this." Half amused by this the boy laughed, a low confidant sound. _

_"So go to superior; what's he going to do, kick me out? I do my job; babysitting wasn't in the job description." Opening an eye lazily he looked Roxas up and down and then grinned again. "Besides, he doesn't look like he could fight, let alone be much help to any mission." _

_"Regardless of your opinion, you're going to help him." Larxene rolled her eyes and moved back into her chair, giving Demyx a pointed look as he bit his lip to keep from cutting into their argument. _

_"Don't think so." Axel replied. Glowering, Vexen placed his hands on his hips and leaned in, getting close to Axel's personal space. _

_"You'll train him so that he doesn't make the same mistakes that you made. Or have you forgotten what it was like to watch everything you once loved burn?" Vexen hissed snidely. If the comment hit home Roxas couldn't tell. Axel didn't flinch or open his eyes, his smirk merely grew as he yawned and lifted a hand, waving it dismissively. _

_"Ok, ok, calm down, Vex, no need to get your lab coat in a knot; I'll train the kid." He said calmly, laughter still in his voice. Satisfied, Vexen straightened up and stalked from the room without a backward glance, leaving Roxas to deal with the aftermath. _

_He stood awkwardly to the side of the TV, watching as Demyx turned his attention back to the screen and Larxene kicked back in her chair, bored once again. The red head was still apparently resting on the couch, his lanky limbs sprawled in a way that only a guy could accomplish. _

_"You going to sit down, kid?" Larxene demanded when Roxas didn't move from his spot. A little embarrassed, he looked around the room to find a place to sit but saw that the only available seat was the small place near the feet of his new teacher. _

_"Leave him be, Larx, no need to bite his head off." Axel replied easily, letting out a breathy laugh. He exuberated confidence and smug authority in a way that Larxene's apparent aggression couldn't accomplish. Opening his eyes slowly he once again looked Roxas up and down before he sighed and propped himself up on his elbows, motioning for Roxas to step up closer. _

_"You're a scrawny little thing." He commented as Roxas tugged on the cloak and scowled at the boy in front of him. He was scrawny? The boy in front of him looked like he could easily fit between the bars of a jail cell he was so rail thin, and his broad shoulders tapered down to slim hips and long, lanky legs. _

_"So what's your name?" Axel asked when Roxas didn't reply to his jab. _

_"Roxas." He replied, silently daring Axel to mock his name. He wouldn't have someone making fun of his name. Instead of laughing though, the red head made a weird noise under his breath and nodded slowly. _

_"Roxas… I like it. Where'd you come from?" He demanded, sitting up and letting out a low breath, smoke falling from his lips like he was smoking. A little startled, Roxas stepped back but Axel grabbed his arm, preventing him from getting away. _

_"You don't need to fear me, kid." He chided softly, green eyes piercing. "Fear means nothing, ok?" Slowly, Roxas nodded, getting the feeling that there was more to this guy then met the eye. _

_"Ok… I get it." He agreed softly. Satisfied, Axel relinquished his arm and looked away, thinking hard about something from the look in his eye. Sitting up he pulled one leg up and let the other dangle off of the couch, motioning for Roxas to sit down. As he did so though, Axel let one arm drape around his shoulder so that he could tug him close, an unnatural heat emitting from him. _

_"Roxas…" His name was gruff on Axel's lips and as he spoke Roxas looked up at him, a little uncomfortable with being so close. "Ok, I got it memorized."_

_

* * *

_

_Hit or miss? Let me know in a review!_


	8. Farewell

_Happy new year!!_

_:)_

_So, I finally got this one updated! _

_Don't hate me, pelase?_

_Roxas is a little angsty and it's a little difficult to write sometimes... but I finally got it!_

_Let me know what you think!_

_Enjoy! :D_

* * *

His steps were confidant and self assured as he strolled down the hallways of the organization head quarters. He hardly gave any of the added assassins a second thought as he took the twists and turns that superior had set up years ago to detour any intruder. Though each of the people who saw him nodded and some even went as far as bowed to him, he didn't even blink an extra blink in their direction. Why? Because they didn't matter. In the grand scheme of things, they meant nothing to him, and even if Larxene had sped down the hallways, slicing throats with her throwing knives he wouldn't have batted an eyelash at the gore.

He had bigger fish to fry.

Reaching the conference room he pushed the double doors aside and waltzed in, sharp eyes taking in the members of the organization seated around the large table with businesslike expressions. The only one who seemed truly amused was Luxord, his sparkling eyes flashing as he gave Axel a nod of the head towards Larxene. As Axel glanced at her, his general incentive to stalking down the hallway faded as he took in the sight before him. Everyone was quiet, waiting for the few remaining members to show up to start the meeting, and as he sat down next to Demyx he kept his gaze fastened to Larxene, probing eyes noticing something different from the day before…

"Hey, Larx, what the hell happened to your hair?" Axel asked with a smirk, absentmindedly high fiving Luxord whose laughter was concealed behind a hand. Glaring venomously Larxene let out a low hiss and slicked her hair back. Even as she made a move to cover it though, the bald patch in the middle of her head was visible for all to see.

"Taking care of a pest control problem." She snapped, her glare not lessening as Xigbar and superior walked into the room, the leader deep in conversation with him. As everyone stood and did the accustomed hand sign, Axel winked at Larxene and Demyx muffled his laughter.

"Report, number XII." Xemnas said in a monotone voice as he sat down. Larxene stood and gave Axel an acidic glance before she spoke.

"The reports are confirmed, superior. Roxas, formerly number XIII, is alive and it is also confirmed that he is regaining his memories." Axel resisted the impulse to react at that, ignoring the way that his heart thudded at the knowledge. Yes, he'd known that he was alive the entire time, but it was different to hear it confirmed. It was a whole new concept for it to be a verbally solidified fact.

"And was the mission completed?" Superior asked lazily. At this, Larxene's gaze sharpened and her lips became pursed.

"When pressed for information as to who was bringing his memories back, number XIII refused to give information." She clenched her fists and Axel silently cheered. His boy still had it in him to resist. Even with the odds stacked against him and confusion clouding his mind, he still fought back. He was still the same, even after his memories had been taken.

"And was number XIII terminated?" Axel's eyes flickered to superior's arrogant form, the color draining from his face in shock as he fought to not to react. He forced himself to unclench his muscles, his shoulders instantly relaxing as he made himself lean forward and idly rest his chin in his hand like it didn't bother him that Larxene had been sent to kill his lover, like he didn't want to rip someone's throat out, and like he didn't care one way or the other.

In truth though, his blood was on fire.

Lazily, he looked over at Larxene mentally weighting her reaction. The look on her face would tell him exactly what had happened before she would speak, and that's all he needed. Larxene was never someone that could hide her emotions well. Sure enough, two red patches flooded her cheeks as she clenched her jaw and blue green eyes flashed in fury and mortification. The worry and panic that he'd felt just a moment ago faded, and Axel allowed himself to exhale slowly now that he knew he wouldn't have to murder his own colleague.

"No… no he wasn't." She bit her lip so hard that it bled as the rest of the organization exchanged glances with one another, facial expressions varying from amusement to annoyance depending on the person. Superior raised an eyebrow, his lip twitching up into a small smirk as he inclined his head.

"And this is helpful how? The mission orders said clearly that you were not to return until he was taken care of." His loyal lapdog, Saix, sneered at her and shook his head, his words ringing around the room as an essence of Xemnas's thoughts.

"I wasn't able to stay in town because the other side sent Riku to protect him." Larxene snapped at him, not even bothering to look in his direction. She kept her glare on Xemnas's amused face, half of her furious beyond belief but Axel detected the other half was wary of the consequences to her failure. Failure was not an option. Beside him, Demyx shifted uncomfortably, but he ignored it. Axel turned his gaze to Marluxia instead, watching how he was fighting to keep his face clear of any emotion. Had he planned for Riku to show up? Or had the other side simply known?

"Riku was sent?" Xaldin's deep voice reverberated around them, his thick fingers running down his long sideburn. "How did he know that you were there with number XIII?"

"Because the entire town is infested with them! Their informant, McDuck, has him as a student, Cid keeps a personal eye on him, Wakka works with him, and then their small time infantry go through the town to watch and make sure he's ok! Hell, Leonhart was there a few days ago and approached him! No reports can say why he was trying to contact him, but their group has kept tabs on him since the day he's been there!" Larxene was seething for a moment, her anger bubbling into her words. It was not the playful, sadistic anger, but anger that sparked from something a lot deeper than that. Did she suspect foul play from one of them? Again, he glanced over to Marluxia, watching his calm reaction with bright, sharp eyes.

"How would they have known he was there if no one else knew?" Vexen questioned quietly from his seat, his dark gaze probing for information.

"That is not the main problem. The main problem is that number XIII should have been eliminated 3 years ago, but he wasn't." Zexion spoke up from his seat, hands folded neatly in his lap. He wasn't flustered or upset about anything; he was simply stating facts. Facts that Axel didn't want spoken of.

"So what are you suggesting exactly?" Saix questioned coolly.

"I believe that it is obvious; we would not have been having this conversation if the mission had been carried out the way it was meant to be carried out. Whoever was given the mission of eliminating number XIII did not follow orders and went out of their way to do the exact opposite, meaning that someone disobeyed a direct order. You can also infer that this same person is the one that has been feeding information to the other side and has been betraying the organization. The main question is… who was given that mission?" Zexion raised an eyebrow and assessed his colleagues with an indifferent stare. "Once you find them, then you will know the rat of the organization."

"So who was given that mission?" Axel asked lazily, smirking as everyone turned towards Xemnas to hear the answer. Superior merely steepled his fingers and returned their stares with one of his own, face betraying nothing.

"Only they know." He said simply by way of answer. Looks of shock passed over everyone's faces at that, their confusion obvious. Why wouldn't he know? Axel smirked though, already knowing the answer. Of course superior wouldn't know who it was; the mole had made sure of that with their gift of mind alteration. The secret was safe.

"But I will say this," Xemnas stood up, and his imposing, towering figure seemed to double in size. He fixed his cold, ruthless stare on each of his assassins, his harsh mouth twisted into a sneer. "Whoever they are, wherever they are… once they are revealed, they will answer directly to me." Stepping around the chairs he made his way to the door, steps sharp with anger as he reached the exit and then paused, turning back to face them. "And rest assured… I know that it is one of you."

Slamming the door behind him, Xemnas closed the meeting with his haunting words, the silence descending around them like a sick, suffocating blanket. Xaldin, Xigbar, and Saix stood up together and left the room quickly, the blue haired ringleader casting a look of disdain after the rest of them before they also departed. Axel sighed softly and ran his hands through his hair, looking at the remaining members with slight amusement playing across his face.

"So, Larxene… did Roxas do that to you?"

Dodging to the side, he narrowly missed being electrocuted.

"I'll place my bets that that would be a yes." Luxord answered for him, grinning wildly.

"I'd stake my life on it."

* * *

"You understand the mission, don't you?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it."

"I don't need any disrespect from you. Just get the information I need."

"Are you sure that they're betraying the organization?"

"Marluxia is too conniving to stay loyal, but too smart to try this alone. I think it was he who was given the mission orders but kept number XIII around to use him to his advantage later."

"And how does this tie into Zexion?"

"His gift, number VIII. He used his gift to suppress the memories of superior so that he couldn't remember who he'd given the mission to."

"But superior knows that it is one of us because he wouldn't have trusted the mission to anyone else in the organization."

"Why do you think that he's killing off the somebodies in the organization?"

"I assumed that this was a rumor."

"He was going to be giving us the orders to rid of them next week, but you understand why he's not going to be holding off on this anymore. He wants all assassins in sector A to be eliminated if they are somebodies."

"You want me to do this?"

"You can handle two missions, can't you, number VIII?"

"Hell Saix, you might as well give me three and let me take care of number XIII myself; you know I can handle the pressure."

"Superior won't trust you with that mission."

"Oh, because I trained him?"

"No. Because you loved him."

"Good thing it's strictly business then."

"And he doesn't think that you would be able to handle killing your old lover. He already has one rebellion going on in the main 12 of the organization; he doesn't need another."

"Alright, alright, I got it memorized, no need to snap; I'll look into what Marluxia's plans are, and I'll get a tail on Zexion."

"You will stay away from number XIII as well, number VIII. Don't displease superior with a mistake like that. Understood?"

"Hell, the order's clear as glass. Guess I'll have to prove to you guys another way that I don't give a damn about the kid."

"What are you trying to say, number VIII?"

"I'm saying that I wouldn't care if Roxas lived or died by the end of the day. I don't give a damn about him. Got it memorized?"

* * *

The day dawned a bit too bright and early for Roxas's taste. As Hayner walked into the room to wake him up, he groggily rubbed the sleep from his eyes and warily watched as his equally sleepy friend mumbled something about a shower before walking out of the room. How much had Hayner forgotten as a result of the memory Roxas had gotten last night? Did he still look at him as a best friend? What more was he going to lose?

_Dark thoughts for so early in the morning._ Naminé whispered in his head as he pulled his aching body out from under the covers. His muscles trembled and his burns shot tendrils of pain along his limbs. How had the battle ended for Larxene and his mystery savior? Had they gotten away with better luck than he had? Was she nursing worse wounds from the sharpness of that boy's sword? Or maybe she had killed him in revenge for him letting Roxas get away? Grinning wryly, he shook his head at Naminé's words.

_**Dark thoughts for dark times**_. He retorted.

A spare set of clothes sat at the foot of the bed and Roxas took them gratefully before he went into the guest bathroom to shower. Careful of his bandages he slowly unwrapped them and assessed the damage. Though the area was still an enflamed color, the Aloe Vera had helped keep them from getting any worse. The burn on his arm had lessened from an angry red to a softer, injured pink color. Along the edges of it though there were blisters where the skin had struggled to protect the muscles and tissue underneath.

After showering he made his way downstairs where Hayner was eating breakfast and idly twirling a struggle bat in one hand. Seeing Roxas he nodded and motioned to where a cereal box and milk had been set out. As Roxas poured himself some cereal he watched Hayner warily.

"My parents are already at the struggle match setting up. We'll head down at about a quarter till." Hayner said conversationally, eyes intent on his bat as he warmed his one arm up.

"Hayner… what do you know about me?" Roxas asked carefully. Glancing up, Hayner fixed him with a stare before he shrugged.

"You're Roxas and for some reason I believe you're my best friend, even though I have no memories that we were ever friends. You've been in Twilight Town for three years even though I keep seeing a picture of me and you sneaking into the abandoned manor when we were eight. I keep thinking that I need to help you, but truthfully I don't even know who you are." Motioning to his burns Hayner frowned. "Someone's after you now and though I really don't know who you are, I'm going to help because that's what friends do and that's what I think we are."

"Hayner…"

"I'll get some more stuff for your burns." Hayner said as he finished his cereal, stood up, and made his way over to get the materials. Dejectedly, he ate his breakfast and let Hayner wrap his arm and leg, face blank so that he didn't show the turmoil right beneath the surface. He was losing everything he knew, too fast to remember everything that he could go back to.

_Roxas, I'm not sure if you want to go back to the things that you remember._ Naminé whispered softly to him, her voice hesitant and a little regretful. Nodding silently along with her, Roxas didn't want to try to argue the point or try to fathom having absolutely _nothing_.

As they put the food away and then finished getting ready, Hayner and Roxas didn't talk. What could they say? Hayner didn't remember the things that they used to talk about, and Roxas didn't want to make it a forced conversation. They simply cleaned up and then began walking slowly towards the struggle arena match, Hayner keeping close to Roxas with his bat idly held in a defense position. He didn't try to rush Roxas's slow limp, and he didn't show any signs of impatience.

They reached the arena with ten minutes before the match started, Hayner motioning for Roxas to sit in the stands right next to the competitor's bench. As he gratefully slumped onto the seat, he watched as people gave him curious stares and whispered to each other about the new guy.

"He's cute…"

"Wonder if he's Hayner's cousin…?"

"Oh, his eyes are gorgeous!"

"Looks like a punk."

"Looks like they don't remember you at all, Roxas." Roxas jumped at the voice right next to his ear, turning wildly around to see Demyx observing him with surprisingly guarded features, his black cloak tucked under one arm to reveal regular black jeans and a dark blue shirt with a surf board on it. He was watching Roxas carefully, almost ready to jump to action if anything suddenly happened. The care free stare and excitement he'd first seen was gone. Warily, Roxas tensed, ready to run if he tried to do anything sudden. As if seeing this, Demyx shifted towards him and held his hands out, palms up like a peace treaty.

"What do you want?" Roxas asked him with a low voice, hoping no one decided to listen in on his conversation. He didn't need people hearing the things that he was sure would be spoken of. He already knew exactly what he wanted to say; after all, Demyx wore the exact same cloak as Marluxia who'd been tracking him, and the same cloak as Larxene, the woman who had tried to _kill_ him. Strictly speaking, Demyx should be regarded as an enemy as well.

"Hey, don't do that." Demyx batted at Roxas's clenched fists to loosen their grip. "You don't want to attract stares, do you?"

"What are you doing here?" Roxas snarled under his breath, his blood beginning to race with adrenaline. Demyx's face took on a slightly worried look, and he leaned in, voice urgent.

"You're in danger, Roxas." He breathed, glancing around the arena as if expecting something to appear. "I'm really not supposed to be here, but things are falling into place too fast."

"What things?" Roxas demanded, glancing around to see if he could recognize anyone from his memories.

"I can't say right now; I don't have time. Larxene failed in killing you yesterday, and the superior is angry. You should have been dead three years ago, but there was an intervention before that could happen, and he's found out about it. We've got to get you out of here." The more Demyx spoke, the more worried he became, even reaching out to tug at Roxas's wrist to make his point a little more solidified.

"So that's what you're here for?" Roxas hissed. "To kill me?"

"NO! No… I'm here to get you away from the guy who's coming to kill you."

"Roxas?" Roxas and Demyx jerked at the sound of his name and they both turned to face the speaker, Demyx's hand clenching Roxas's tightly. Whether in fear or in reassurance Roxas couldn't say. When he saw that it was Hayner in front of him though Roxas instantly relaxed, subtly trying to get Demyx to relax as well. Hayner stood in front of them with a struggle bat held in the direction of Demyx's face loosely, but the point was made. Struggle bats had the top 4 inches filled with a heavy metal material to enable the top heavy object to swing quickly and easily. Though it wouldn't easily kill someone, it could easily break bones and crush muscles.

"Is there a problem?" Hayner asked coolly, nodding towards Demyx. Roxas glanced over at Demyx to see him cautiously inching away from the two of them, his face paler than before. Obviously, he wasn't meant to be seen or spoken to by anyone but Roxas.

"No, he's a friend." Roxas replied, not entirely sure why. Maybe it was because he wanted answers and Demyx seemed willing enough to give them? Or maybe there was some small part of him that believed the idea that they'd once been friends. Either way, Roxas didn't want him harmed. Yet.

Hayner let his bat slowly drop to his side, his eyes never leaving Demyx's face. Shrugging his shoulders, he nodded towards Roxas and then walked back to the announcer's box to finish filling out his registration.

"Who is coming to kill me?" Roxas demanded the moment that Hayner was out of earshot. Demyx flushed and awkwardly let go of Roxas's hand.

"Thanks for that. You didn't have to call me a friend." He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and flashed Roxas a weak smile.

"You said that we were friends before I lost my memories." Roxas shrugged and didn't bother to return the smile.

"Yeah, but you didn't believe me."

"Views change after everything that's happened. I don't exactly have a handful of allies to choose from. I take what I can get." Roxas rubbed his palms into his eyes and then turned back to face Demyx once again. "Now, who is coming to kill me?"

"No one, silly." A distinctly feminine voice replied on Roxas's other side. Whirling around, Roxas came face to face with a girl a little older than him, her smile a little mocking as she regarded the two of them.

"Kairi…" Demyx breathed softly, and Roxas heard the disbelief and worry in his tone.

"Hello, Demyx. It's good to see you again so soon." The girl smiled softly and tucked a strand of scarlet hair behind her ear, bright blue eyes sparkling mischievously. Reaching over she calmly took a hold of Roxas's hand and pulled in more towards her and away from Demyx.

"How- when did you-"

"When did I escape from your headquarters? About 3days ago. But no one noticed because you were all focused on Roxas here." Her tone was smooth and confidant, her words seeming to have more of an effect on Demyx than Roxas. Roxas was nervous though; who was she? What was she doing here?

"What are you doing here?" Demyx's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

"I'm here to protect Roxas, of course. Orders were that no one from the organization was to approach him, so I had to step in." She shrugged innocently, but there was something about her that Roxas didn't like. Her innocent appearance was a little too fake and a little too forced.

"You don't understand, I'm not the threat here, it's Saix, he's-"

"No, you don't understand. All of you are a threat, innocent acting or not. Cold blooded murderers, killers without a conscience." She grabbed Roxas's hand and stood up, pulling him along with her, much to his shock.

"Hey, wait," Roxas yanked his hand from her grasp, looking between them with confusion. "What is going on here?"

"Roxas, I can't explain it here. The point is, Demyx is on the side with the organization that has been trying to kill you for the past three years. I am on the side with Leon, Cid, McDuck, and Riku, the guy that saved you from Larxene, Demyx's partner, yesterday."

"Roxas, you can't listen to her, I'm serious, her side is just going to-"

"We've been stopping your people from killing him since he was dumped here." Kairi cut him off and her face hardened. "Don't try to play the innocent card, Demyx. You killed my little sister without batting an eyelash."

"You did what?" Roxas turned to regard Demyx with a whole new light. Demyx stood up, a little panicked, his face twisting into something between fear and urgency.

"You don't understand, Roxas, now isn't the time to judge-"

"If you want your memories back, you'll have to come with me." Kairi whispered.

_She's right, you know. I can't give you memories with all of this going on._ Naminé informed him in agreement.

Well that solved that, then.

"Show me the way." Demyx's face turned into pure horror as Kairi grabbed Roxas's arm and tugged him towards the exit, away from the panicked blonde haired boy. Roxas hurried after her, eyes searching for Hayner as they past rows and rows of excited people. Their screaming and yelling began to pick up as the announcer began to speak, calling up the first two fighters to the stage. As Hayner began to make his way to the fighting box he looked up and saw that Roxas was moving. His eyes regarded Roxas for a moment, and as Roxas waved a hand in farewell, Hayner understood. He nodded sharply and then smiled, lifting his bat as a sign of friendship and goodbye.

Roxas knew he'd never see him again.

As they hit the outside of the arena Roxas picked up his pace, following Kairi and studying her as well. She was on alert, eyes casted up around the top of the buildings and towards the shadows, anywhere she figured someone could hide. Roxas felt his heart begin to pound as he too began to look for anyone who would be a potential threat.

"You're going to have to be careful; if Demyx shows up I'll have to fight." Kairi warned him as she motioned down an alley. As Roxas turned that way though, a low growl grabbed his attention and he stopped, eyes widening as he saw what had made such an animalistic noise.

"I think Demyx is the least of our worries." Roxas informed Kairi as he stepped back, hands raised to try to calm down the growling wolf that had begun to advance towards him.

* * *

_Hit or miss? Let me know in a review!_

_:)_


End file.
